Giving It Your All
by Lady of the Phoenix
Summary: A series of Nidacentric drabbles. Emotional, funny, scary and then some.
1. Choices

Author's Notes: NO, this is NOT a Nida/Xu. I'm trying to go through this whole 100 without actually putting Nida in a pairing beyond hinting at one, okay? And Nida/Xu is just WRONG. This one comes from a really long trip to a family reunion and some beautiful music I heard on the way. Um, in-game, maybe an hour after the orphanage gang plays music for Rinoa and Squall. Assumes that they chose to use the piano.

Theme: Choices

* * *

Sacrifice 

Everything had been quiet after Squall and Rinoa had stormed off and the others had given up on their attempts to make something of the night. Instruments had been taken back to the Garden, save the piano. It had been left, along with the stage, until the faculty could be convinced to bring it aboard the Garden with the help of the mechanics of FH. It was for this that Xu had come outside. Being unable to sleep she had chosen it would be better to try and figure out how to get it all back onboard. What she had not expected was to find another person stricken with insomnia. What she expected far less was for that person to be playing the piano that had been left behind.

When she had started down the stair she had first caught the sound of the song being played, and she'd been forced to pause and admire it. The tune was low enough, soft enough to not disturb the peaceful slumber of the fishing town, but also sweet enough, pure enough, to be beautiful and alluring. While she could not see the person playing because the stage was not lit up and for the person was not facing her, she could tell it was a Garden student. It was evident in the perfect posture, in the strong shoulders, in the solemn silence that surrounded him as he played. There was as much focus in that playing as there was in the summoning of a Guardian Force.

Inside she knew who it had to be. He was as much of one of Garden's mysteries as Squall had come to be over the years. No one was completely sure what had compelled the youth to join Garden, especially since he was almost 15 when he joined, and was definitely not a fighter. While Nida had above average intelligence, superior speed and amazing skills with stealth, he lacked all combat skill and magic was far from his specialty. The good thing was that what he lacked in battle Nida had more than made up for the technical skills. Even when they'd accepted him it had taken the faculty a week to find a weapon that suited him. Nida lacked the accuracy needed for guns, whips, nun chucks and throwing weapons. His body had not been strong enough to lift or handle a sword or gunblade. Even his delicate fingers, so good with repairs and electronics had lacked the strength needed for martial arts. For a while they'd just told him to work on raising muscle mass, giving him a long, old, oak staff to use for general weapon training. Of course, they'd quickly learned that his long fingers and agile body had been perfect for handling spears, staffs, pikes and anything else pole-like. Quickly the student no one had expected much from had gone from useless to a fighter that one might not want handling the tough stuff, but still perfect even in a tight place.

While Nida had been able to keep perfect scores in all of his classes, he barely scraped by in magic practicals. Casting spells took twice as long for him, and they were half as strong. Despite the instructors attempts to make him average by giving him Guardians like Phoenix who boosted magic power and allowing him to junction with stronger magics to make his magic level acceptable, he'd never have been good enough in Garden's eyes to be a SeeD. There had not been a single instructor that wasn't surprised when the youth had managed to make it through the Fire Cavern test with flying colors, even though he had only been a student for a year and a half while all the others his age had been in Garden for at least three years. And when he'd passed the SeeD Graduation Test… Only the Headmaster himself had not seemed surprised, as if he'd been betting on the dark horse all along.

Xu knew that through all of this her prize student had suffered more than people had expected. Sure, he had proved he could handle a Garden life, even becoming one of the elite rank that was SeeD, but he did not seem happy with this. At least twice she had gone to Doctor Kadowaki, trying desperately to figure out why he always seemed so sad with the older woman's help. If the doc knew anything though, she was damn good at hiding it. After this Xu had tried a new approach that had also failed. Yes, she had become very close to Nida in the process, even fond of him in a way that might be frowned upon, but she could still not figure out what had caused the quiet young man so ill-suited to warfare to join a military academy. Tonight she told herself that she would find out.

Now, with the resolution in herself to discover at last the story behind the SeeD, Xu continued down the stairs towards the stage where the piano was perched. The closer that she got, the more she became sure that this was Nida. It was not all in the lean body and pale skin and dark clothes, but in the perfected posture, and the short cut hair, and even the way the hands danced over the ebony and ivory keys like they danced over the keyboards of so many computers before. Her dark eyes, sharp enough to suit her rifle expertise, could not catch even the smallest glimpse of sheet music. The only thing that could mean was that Nida truly knew what he was doing. Soon enough she was within spitting distance of the pianist, and afraid for some reason of disturbing him.

For a moment the music called to mind the image of the waves of the sea, breaking against the beach. It was this that caused the instructor to freeze again. Okay, maybe she could accept some kid his age playing around on a piano. Maybe she could accept him knowing a few tunes without needing sheet music. But to play well enough to mimic the sound of the ocean around them with a piano… Who was this kid?

Finding that strength within herself again, Xu climbed onto the stage and moved behind Nida to watch his fingers dance over the keys. It was certain that at this point Nida had to be aware of her presence, but neither hinted at this knowledge. The male continued to play, and she watched, marveling at how right those long, slender fingers seemed to be against the brilliant white of the keys and the deep black of the piano. How could no one have noticed now that Nida was meant more for this sort of magic than for the magic used in war?

No sooner had Xu thought this than the music stopped. The sudden absence of the melodic sound sent a shiver down her spine. The way those deep green eyes examined her as the 17 year old finally turned to her presence was unnerving.

"You're good," was all she could manage.

Slowly Nida turned back to the keys and stretched out his fingers above them, as if he was about to play once more. After a second he shook his head, though the shake was so small one could barely see it, and pulled back. Another second found the appendages laced together and resting in his lap.

"Have you been playing for a long time?" she asked, seeking to fill the void the music had somehow left.

"Since I was very young," Nida finally spoke. For some reason she could not help but compare it to the tones of the melody he had just stopped playing. Once more she berated herself for not assuming earlier that he was a musician of some sort. Now that she knew the fact, it really seemed to fit together well with his demeanor and appearance.

"You must practice a lot."

"Every night," he confirmed.

That explained a bit then, like why the piano they had found for the 'concert' had not only been in tune, but also dust free. It also explained why a few of the underclassman claimed there was a ghost in the music room that played the piano at all hours of the night. Maybe it even explained why Nida had looked so depressed that one time he'd hurt his arm and had to wear a sling for a week. It even explained why his hands would occasionally flicker through the air, something she had first thought was an urge to type something or fiddle with a computer, but was probably just a desire to be back to making his music. Still, it did not explain why he had joined Balamb Garden in the first place. What could possess him to pass up his obvious talent for a military life?

"I hear there is a really great school focusing on performing arts in Deling City," she said, hoping to bait him into giving her the answers she wanted.

"Yes, I've heard that as well," his response came. He was quite good at dodging questions, yet he was still answering somehow. His knowledge of the place meant he must have considered it.

"I even heard that Julia Heartilly went there when she was your age." When this brought no response, not even a twitch of the eye or the lip, she continued, "Have you heard of Julia Heartilly? You probably know her because she sang that song 'Eyes on Me'. She was really famous back when I was about three. My mom played her music all the time. I was kinda sad when I came to Garden because I was the only one that listened to her."

Again the SeeD did not answer. But this time there was signs of life. His fingers unlaced from each other and rose to the piano. The youth took a deep breath, held it, and released as he played the introductory notes of 'Eyes on Me'. Every note was as flawless as she remembered from this one record Xu had known her mother to play constantly. It was not the version played behind Julia's singing, but the piano solo that the stories said Julia had played many a night in the bar at the Deling City hotel, the music that had drawn a young soldier in the army to her every night… This was the music that the song had been written because of. Few people remembered this song anymore, much less the piano version. And to have someone play it who was less than two years old when Julia died was amazing.

"You know of her and her music then? It's beautiful isn't it?"

"She was Rinoa's mother you know," Nida said, ignoring Xu's words all together.

Xu looked down at her own hands now. She had not thought that anyone other than herself and the Headmaster had made that connection yet. "Is it easy to tell?"

Nida shook his head and continued playing. "Not really. I mean, sure, they kinda look the same, but they act really different."

"How would you know?"

"My mother knew Julia very well. They grew up together."

"Ah. So you're Julia's best friend's son then?"

"No. I'm Julia's nephew."

The words fell so naturally from his lips, as if he had said them many times before. Could he be lying that easily or…

"It's okay Xu. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to. Ask the obvious question if you must."

"Obvious question?"

"If I'm related to Julia and if I can play even half as good as her, why am I in Garden?"

Yes, that was the question on her mind, but saying it aloud… She was almost afraid of the answer.

"Okay then. If you're related to Julia, why are you in Garden?"

There was no response, just the sound of the piano serenading the sleeping town. For a while she left it like that, willing to just let the music continue. Why did she really have to know anyway? Who was she to pry into his business?

"My mother lives in Balamb you know. A few times Julia offered to have her come live with herself and General Caraway, but my mother always refused. The president there, before Edea killed him that is, he was very cruel. Mom always wanted me to grow up safe and free, and have the rights that Balamb has, you know? Wanted me to be anything I wanted to be, without having to deal with the problems of Galbadia… Then we heard about towns like Timber and Dollet. We learned about what the President did to them in school. We learned that how after Galbadia beat back the forces of the Sorceress Adel in Esthar, it turned cruelly upon its own people. Our teacher told us that since Balamb was so small and so close to Galbadia, they might not hesitate to claim us next. I didn't want my mom to have to live with that."

At this point the SeeD moved over a bit on the piano bench, giving Xu room to sit. She gladly took the silent offer of the youth. There was more, and it was likely that she would be the first and last he ever told.

"I tried out for that school in Deling. They really wanted me in, but they said my mother would have to move to the city with me or I wouldn't see her much again. I turned them down and joined Garden instead. I want to protect my home in any way I can. Garden is the only place I can do that. Sure, I'm not the best fighter like Squall and Zell. I'm not the best with magic like Quistus and Selphie. Hell, I can't even fire a gun like Irvine and I don't have the resources Rinoa has, but I can still do something. I can still protect people."

With this the music stopped, and Nida rose. She watched him, amazed that for the first time in all the time that she had known him, he didn't seem fragile at all. He was stronger than most, because he was fighting for more than just orders or because people wanted him to. To give up such a chance at life like that was something few could do.

"I am sorry Instructor, I must be going. The mechanics of FH are working on the new bridge and the navigation systems. I'm helping them out so that they don't short the computer systems out in the process. They even said they'll teach me how to fly Garden so I can be more useful around there. I'll see you in the morning."

She watched as the young man turned away and hopped down off of the odd stage. It was almost sad to watch him like that, walking so easily back towards Garden, and away from his dream once more.

_'I turned them down and join Garden instead. I want to protect my home in any way I can,' _was what he had said. But why did the way he picked have to be so destructive towards his dreams? How could this be the lesser of two evils?

Even when he had completely receded from view, Xu couldn't help but feel heartbroken for him, and maybe a bit fonder of him in the process.


	2. Light

Author's Notes: 10 year old Nida plus feathered friends equals happiness. AU of course because of location of orphanage and fact Nida is there. Slickrock is a type of sedimentary rock that is smooth! Dedicated to user naysaysfire for reading my last one twice apparently and reviewing. Her review was so great and so long that I'm giving her lots of love!

Theme: Light

* * *

Bird's Eye View 

"Nida. Nida! Nida, wait up!" she shouted as she chased after the slightly older kid.

"If I wait up then I'll miss it!" Nida shouted back to the younger girl. Carefully he looked at the path up the cliff as it began to rise even steeper than before.

"But I'll miss it too, and I'll get lost! Auntie Matron won't like you letting me get lost!" Selphie complained.

The ten year old sighed and waited for the nine year old girl to catch up to him. She panted a little bit, then smiled and hugged him, "Thank you Nida!"

"Just don't tell Zell or Seifer about it okay? Zell would scare them away because he's noisy and Seifer might scare them away because he likes doing that."

Selphie nodded, and then thought for a minute. "What about Quisty and Squall and Sis?"

"You can tell Squall and Sis, they won't tell anyone," Nida confirmed before taking her hand and guiding her up the steep path with him. "You got your spy glasses?"

The hyper young girl smiled and nodded. With her free hand she held up the binoculars that hung around her neck. She was quite proud of the cool pair because they were bright yellow. Nida had bought them for her for Christmas. Now that spring time had come she could finally use them like he used his.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Well, Matron says this really rare type of bird lives up on the cliffs here. We'll be able to watch them. They are REALLY big too."

"Uh Nida," Selphie said. "What does 'rare' mean?"

This caused Nida to pause in his walking. Really, he didn't know at all what 'rare' meant. "Well… Um… Like the meat that Uncle Cid likes, kinda bloody."

"EW! I don't wanna see that!" Selphie said.

"Oh come on, let's go. If you don't come then I'm leaving you here."

There was a pout from the girl, but she kept up with the older boy anyway. "How much farther?"

"Just a little bit Selphie, but you gotta be quiet because we don't wanna scare them off, okay?"

The brunette nodded and kept close to Nida. The path was getting steeper and rocker, so she needed all of his help possible to get up the incline. Yet soon enough the pair was nestled in a small cave in the rocks. The two laid down on their bellies. Nida showed the young girl how to use the binoculars, from focusing to looking through them, to the basic of not looking into the sun. Amazingly the young girl was quiet and patient the whole time, quickly learning everything the older kid taught her. Like this the duo laid in waiting for the sight of the rare birds Matron had spoken of. Both knew they had until sundown to see the birds, because then they'd have just enough time to get back to the orphanage in the valley and get ready for dinner. Good thing days lasted longer here in the mountainous regions of Nevada.

"So, what do these rare birds look like, other than big?" she asked, shifting a little on the slickrock cave floor.

"I don't know. I asked Matron but she said 'you will know them when you see them'. Matron's really smart, you know, so I'm going to believe her," Nida said, his voice very confident.

"Okay then. How long are we going to have to wait?"

Nida shrugged a bit, "Not much longer I think. Not much longer."

No sooner had the boy said this than Selphie lifted her binoculars. By chance alone they alighted upon a crag in the far off cliffs where a few large birds were huddling in together for the night. The young girl smiled and pointed. "I see them Nida! I see them!"

He quickly followed her finger and adjusted his binoculars to view the distant condors. Their gray heads and black bodies stood out against the rusty red of the cliffs. How he had missed them before was beyond him. Just as Matron had said, they were easy to recognize. His breath caught in his throat as he watched as one, a large one meaning it was probably male, bend its knees and take off. In flight it looked so magnificent, like something out of prehistory. To think that things like that could exist here and now was so amazing.

"Yeah Selphie, that has to be them," he said when he finally recovered enough to breathe.

The younger girl lowered her binoculars and smiled at her friend. She knew he didn't notice, because he was so taken by the birds. But she could easily imagine the happiness shining through in his eyes. They always got bright and shiny when he was looking at birds, like Squall's got when Sis was around, or how Seifer got when Zell was around, even if Zell was in a fight with him. Sure, she was only nine, but being in an orphanage with the others, it was easier for her to tell some things, like love. Nida looked at those birds like Matron looked at Uncle Cid, or like Squall did at his big Sis Ellone. Everyone at the orphanage had the things they loved, and their eyes lit up so brightly when those things were around. Too bad it wasn't until now that she figured out what Nida's thing was. Well, at least she'd learned before his birthday. She'd ask the others to save up with her this year to get Nida a bird, he'd like that.

With another smile she turned back to her binoculars and wordlessly watched the condors flying around in the evening sky. She'd leave soon enough, and wanted more than anything to share Nida's happy light with him as long as she could…


	3. Fall

Author's Notes: Just random stuff brought to you by Creed music and lots of time after rounds at another speech tournament. I rock. A short one for you this time. How sad.

Theme: Fall

* * *

Saying No

He hadn't seen it until it was far too late. It hadn't been like Squall's which had been raised suddenly, or Seifer's which the blonde had demanded, but it had been there none the less. He hadn't wanted it either, when he finally realized it was there. Oddly enough it hadn't even been the break that resulted from the fall that scared him. It had been the fall itself.

It had been the fact that he'd done nothing he thought worthy enough for the blessing and curse that had hidden it so long and so well from his knowledge. In his mind it had been no big deal to get good grades. He didn't care that he was unstoppable in battle save when confronted by the two gunblade masters. Why did it matter that he received the highest score on SeeD exam? It had all be expected of him, so he'd done, even when the whole thing had left him torn and ruin when the end came.

The first time he'd said the word and saw the look in his commander's eyes, he realized what he'd refused to see before. The pedestal he stood upon -built on years of success, compliance and refusal to think of himself first- wobbled slightly, showing him it was really there. His CO had looked at him in shocked denial. Who was this and what had he done to weak minded, obedient Nida? Why wouldn't he follow orders and kill those traitors? Who cared that there were women and children there?

The break at the end of the fall had been a relief. For the first time he hadn't been bound by the rules and regulations of a military life, and it felt. People didn't look to him as if he was merely a pawn or a killing machine. He was a person for the first time in his life. But it hadn't been worth the pain of the fall itself. The limbo between safety and obedience and a cautious freedom was riddled with pains, betrayals and broken hearts. He was the lucky one though. As terrible as the fall had been, it hadn't shattered him like Seifer's fall had shattered the sorceress knight, and it sure as hell wasn't as bad as Squall's fall would surely be in the end.


	4. Who?

Author's Notes: This story is for myself and from a long day of speech. Also gifted to the whole group over at the Seifer/Zell comm on LJ. Though Seifer is never mentioned in name, it's so obviously him, and Zell, without knowing it, covers up feelings for him with his hero worship and all of that manic Zell crap. Set in Medieval times and involves an unnamed brunette who Nida was once in love with. Ha! I kept my word for no Nida relationships by making it a childhood fling and by not naming names or giving other descriptions! FEAR MY AVOIDANCENESS! Oh, and yes, the Knights named for Edea are Sorceress Knights in training, all those dudes with romantic dreams and shit. But only for GOOD sorceresses. Got it? Oh, FINALLY, in reference to the scar Nida bears, yeah, that idea comes from a scar I received during a school play from a trophy that almost put my eye out. It's a cool looking Z shaped scar, but it still hurts like hell and always will.

Theme: Who?

* * *

Knight

"Why do you waste your time like this?"

"Who says it is a waste of time to train like this?"

"Well…" the first voice started.

"And if you say his name I'll shove this branch down your throat," the second, older voice cut off the first one.

"Well, it just is a waste of time, so THERE!" the first voice shouted rather childishly.

The owner of the second voice chuckled when the first jumped back from a well thrown stick that was his own childish retaliation.

"You don't have to join you know. You care nothing for it so why should you try to train at all?"

"Exactly!" the first voice agreed, only to find the tip of a long branch awfully close to his eye. This time the person didn't move, fearing that the other would react and seriously cut him.

"Wrong. Very wrong. You're just not smart enough to realize just how important training is."

Now it was the second person's turn to dodge, this being a punch intended for his gut.

"I'm not stupid!"

"Didn't say you were Zell," the second said with a slight smiled. "Come on, that is more than enough training for you to have for one day."

There was a not from Zell and he moved to the shade of a large oak tree and thus towards the two full canteens of strawberry cordial and a pack in which a small meal of meat pasties and cheese liberated from the kitchens of the castle laid.

"How did you convince Matron to let you leave her kitchens with these things anyway?" Zell asked.

The other man smiled and tossed aside the branch he'd been using to fight Zell with. Well, not really fight, more of knock around the recruit. Since the younger one was tired out he could move on at last to more vigorous stuff for himself. With the long halberd of the Knights of Edea in hand and his long sword still set aside near the oak, the knight set about his daily training with the heavy pole-arm.

"Zell, not only am I a Knight of Edea, but I was practically raised by the woman. I have a bit of leeway."

The blonde looked down, slightly red in the face at the slightly reprimanding tone that suggested that his superior wasn't happy to be questioned by the youth. But within a few seconds it was gone from face and mind and Zell was asking another silly question.

"What did you join the Knights for Nida?"

The dark haired male froze instantly, halberd held awkwardly due to his state of unbalance with the thing held only near the bottommost part of the grip. Slowly he let the axe-headed weapon lower to the ground until it came in contact with soft loam. A thousand possible answers flashed through his head, all lies. He could tell about his home village's destruction by bandits as he had for the Council of Eight when they'd asked a similar question, but that had never been his reason.

Soon he lifted the weapon again and carried it to where the 14 year old boy rested. With a sigh he sat, laying the murderous looking oak and steel weapon by his side.

"It was less of a what and more of a who," he finally admitted as he took the proffered hunk of cheese held out by the tattooed youth.

A face flashed in his mind, a beautiful brunette in his village who the raiders had taken. While he'd tried to fight and protect the one he loved, all he'd succeeded in doing was almost dying and receiving a beautiful scar on his right eyelid where he'd been struck. Never had he seen the one he loved again. After being taken to Matron he'd sworn to become a Knight and one day have vengeance for the one he had loved.

"But what does it matter? Tell me kid, why do you want to become a knight?"

"I'm not a kid!" Zell protested before growing quiet for the first time. After a few seconds a smile touched the face of the hyperactive youth. "It's more of a who than a why."

For the second time the knight chuckled. "Really? Care to share?"

"I can't say his name or you will be mad, but I wanna be just like him. He's so cool and brave and strong and unstoppable…"

"Zell," Nida cut in as he saw the youth starting to turn blue from lack of air. "As I've told you many times, always remember to pause and breathe."

Once more the young blonde turned red. "Sorry air. Well, I wanna be just like him, minus the whole thinking I'm better than everything thing and the picking on the recruits thing and the calling them things like manic and chicken and wussy thing and all of that."

Nida smiled. He'd have to tell the other knight later about his little fan… Or maybe not because that would only cause the younger knight to treat Nida's favorite even worse. Which was really sad because he could see that the two deserved each other, even if others would not approve of it. And while Nida was older than the cocky blonde Knight of Edea he knew that the other's status as a Crimson Cross level knight would always give him a reason to ignore Nida's requests to be kind to the only one truly capable of not only looking up to him, but caring about him at the same time. For a moment Nida wondered if he'd ever acted this way when it came to talking about the one he had loved as well, but then brushed it off. It was all in a past he didn't need to think of.


	5. What?

Author's Notes: Very confusing fic about Nida and Quistus trying to explain 'whoosh' versus 'shift' versus 'compress' to Rinoa, who is listening in on them. And we all know that even despite their best efforts she's probably not going to get it. Oh, and I don't own Rinoa, but if I did you can be sure that she wouldn't have survived space. More of a story about Nida and his crazy ideas than about his personality and such.

Theme: What?

* * *

Compression 

He could tell from the look in her eyes that the raven-haired beauty who was listening in on the conversation was totally and completely lost. Now, he couldn't completely blame her for this, for countless times previous the conversations between Quistus and himself seemed to bypass her tiny brain. Oh yes, in Nida's opinion she must definitely had a tiny brain. He'd been sure of it ever since he'd heard that she'd 'helped' fight Edea both times, causing many problems for her SeeD guardians. Really, how exactly had she expected to 'help' a team of fully trained SeeDs against a sorceress when she was still a greenhorn in terms of combat.

Well, anyway, he could tell from the slowly glazing over look in those doe-like eyes that the dreaded question was coming up. With a barely noticeable gesture he turned Quistus's attention to it as well. The look of utter displeasure from the instructor was almost amusing.

"Uh, guys," the wealthy young heiress spoke nervously, "Could you just put that all in English?"

Again the urge to chuckle came to Nida, for the instructor's hand was slowly moving towards her whip. Yet he still pitied the foolish young sorceress, so he decided to spare her the wrath of the blue mage even though his dislike for Rinoa ran far deeper than the blonde's.

"We are discussing the possibility that Ultimecia didn't really compress time, but rather compress time AND dimensions."

"But it was called _time_ compression wasn't it? Even Doctor Odine said that," she pointed out.

"Rinoa," Nida said, keeping his voice level, "How did it feel when you went through compression?"

When the woman did not answer, Quistus provided the data for the curious male.

"It was a shift, yes, but there was compress and whoosh qualities to it as well. It was kinda like…"

"Like being sent through one of those really old fashion washing machines!" the spoiled brat provided.

"Exactly, and thus far from a pure time compression."

Still the dazed look lingered in the soulful eyes.

"Okay, let us say that there are three basic types of travel between places."

Rinoa nodded, following me so far.

"The first is the most basic. It is direct travel between point A and point B. It could be teleporting, flying, walking, anything you can do physically. Going from one place to another in this case is called a 'whoosh'."

"Like in how things go past us when we drive really fast!" the girl said with a smile.

Nida nodded. "Basically a whoosh is traveling from one place to another in the same time and dimension. Next you have shifts."

"Shift?"

"You know about alternative dimensions and worlds right?"

"Yeah, they all occupy the same space, but we can't see them. I don't get how though…"

"It is because the atoms of our world vibrate differently and thus aren't affected by other worlds. A 'shift' is how you travel between them. It is changing your frequency to match that of another world."

"And unlike a whoosh…" Rinoa prodded.

"The places you travel to and from are in the exact same place in time and space but in a new dimension."

"And the third thing?"

"A compress. It relates to traveling through time. A pure compress takes the times and compresses it together so you can step into the next time. A true compression takes the world you are in and smashes it together with lots of different times. All of the landscapes of prehistory and the far future are blended in with lots of presents. One minute you're in a jungle from the days of the dinosaurs, the next you're walking through a nuclear wasteland. If what we'd experienced was a pure compress it would have caused us to arrive in the same place we left in too, but that didn't happen, and it would have been impossible to recognize the land."

"First, we were obviously in a different time, thus we experienced a compress," Quistus said. "Then there was land features we didn't know and an obviously different course of history, indicating a shift into the dimension the sorceress was from. Finally, we ended up in a different place, indicating a whoosh into the whole mix. Such a type of travel is yet to be discovered. We were contemplating it when you so rudely interrupted us Rinoa."

"Sorry," she said, lowering her head.

Nida laughed at last as he stood. It would be a joy to escape the young woman. "Come on Quistus, we do have a meeting to attend to with the other high SeeDs. We can continue this conversation some other time. Have a very nice day Rinoa."

The heiress nodded and watched the two SeeDs walk off, still unsure as to what they'd been talking about.


	6. Lunch

Author's Notes: To Ashley, because she wanted me to write a happy story for a change.

Theme: Lunch

* * *

Escaping Punishment 

He was one of those kinds of people that you noticed, but only if you were really trying. Everything about him was so mediocre at first glance. He had that average dark brown hair, those average brown eyes with contacts instead of glasses to avoid the appearance of being nerdy. He was maybe five foot seven, a pretty blah kind of height, and only 150 pounds, meaning he wasn't quite built either. So soft spoken was his voice it got to a point that when he opened his mouth, you focused only on the gentle, calm and logical words and you slowly started to tune the person himself out. He even wore the exact same uniform as everyone else at the small military academy, making him the true model of non-descript. Once he was out of the classroom, once he was away from weapons training, and once he was away from his barely existent private life, he was the true image of mediocrity. Then again… Sometimes being so average was the perfect way to live life without getting in trouble.

Case in point was about a week ago, during the designated lunch hour for his grade level. It just so happened that his grade level was the highest of the school before one graduated into the elite ranks of the highest level of mercenaries trained by his military academy. Those high levels were called SeeDs. He wasn't sure quite why, but then again, even those of the rank of SeeD weren't completely sure as to why it was named that way. Maybe it was the fact that their military academy was called Garden. But really, who knew. Now, back to the point. Their lunch was the first of the periods, and thus the most fun to be in. Everyone had the chance to get the hotdogs that were so popular around Garden, and all the joking around was quite fun.

As always Nida was the last one in line for lunch. Oh, that is right, his name was Nida. He was a nice guy really, good grades, good at sports, good in band, but that isn't the point. The point was that he was at the end of the line, just like always, and he was waiting for his turn to grab his traditional salad and head over to the few people he did hang out with. Except today wasn't as average as one expected from the mediocre life. For some reason there was a banana peel upon the floor, probably dropped by Zell Dincht.

Zell Dincht, now there was a box of energy if there ever was one. One couldn't exactly call him slow, because he was the king of hyperactivity. The fact that Zell ever paused to take a breath was a shock to the majority of the school, but was he ever the fist fighting king. Blonde, blue eyed, tattooed and brimming with the energy one expected in a five year old, nothing could keep Zell Dincht down for very long. Sure, punches could take it out of him, and he hated being reminded that he was an orphan because he had a great adoptive family, but still he kept bouncing back. While he was far from the most talented academically, and far from average in the eyes of others, he was still a great guy to be around. And no one in Garden loved hotdogs quite so much as Zell Dincht. So, back to the incident, right?

Well, there average old Nida was, walking and minding his own business towards his usual table with his usual lunch at his usual pace. Yet suddenly when he puts his foot down he seems to find the room changing. It was like one of those slow-motion scenes in a comedy movie, predictable and yet still horribly embarrassing for the initial party. While Nida fell back, navy blue uniformed butt making contact with beige tilted cafeteria floor, the bright red lunch tray flew up, salad, fork, applesauce, ranch dressing, and white milk all went flying up, up, up into the air. With horror the average boy on the floor watched as the food took the worst possible course of all… sailing so beautifully through the air to crash land in the hair of Zell Dincht. Zell, always one to react way before he thought, jumped up angrily. Of course this upset the table which the blonde youth was sitting at, and caused his chilly dog to go flying through the air to strike the arch-nemesis of the tattooed youth, one Seifer Almasy.

If there was any student in the school to avoid, whether you were so average that you were nearly invisible or not, it had to be Seifer Almasy. At an inch over six feet Seifer was easily one of the biggest presences in the whole school, save one of his buddies. Seifer was, for lack of a better word, arrogant. He had perfectly cut blond hair save for an untamable strain that hung right in front of perfect eyes that were somewhere between green and blue. He was quite a handsome image in a dark blue vest edged in pale gray with that covered by a long trench coat of a similar gray bearing crimson crosses upon each side. His skin was perfectly tanned and complimented by a choker of pure silver around his strong neck. Seifer, while the strongest by far in the academy, had a problem with authority, and had failed the required entrance test for SeeD twice already. The most ironic thing was that he was also the head of the Disciplinary Committee. Really, putting the student that was the biggest bully in charge of the DC had been a bad idea. He gave out detentions randomly. Yet he picked on no one nearly as much as he picked on Zell, who he called Chicken-Wuss. Oh yeah, story.

So, as I was saying, the fateful hotdog hit the highly prized trench coat of Seifer Almasy with something that one could almost call a very satisfying 'thud'. The whole cafeteria grew silent after a collective gasp, waiting to see what horrible punishment Seifer would manage to inflict upon Zell for the desecration of the beloved piece of clothing. Would it be a fight? Would it be a month of detention? The suspense was almost unnerving… until Seifer turned. Anyone could have told you that from the malicious smirk upon the face of the larger blonde, Zell had no chance. Still the hyper youth stood his ground. Zell puffed out his chest, fists clenched in their leather gloves as Seifer stared him down. Behind the head of the DC people could see the duo that was the other part of the DC rising from their seats.

Fujin and Raijin, inseparable and almost impossible to stand if you were not Seifer yourself. She was a small female with an inch on Nida, hair of white and eyes of red due to her actual status of being an albino, and an eye patch over her left eye. Fujin only spoke in single words normally, always yelled at the top of her lungs. For example, were she angry she would should 'RAGE!'. Of course, she was far stronger than most males of their level, which was why Seifer kept her in his company. People even said that her real speaking voice was so sweet, so gentle, it was like a nightingale singing. Then there was Raijin. He was the largest person in Garden. At six foot four, covered almost solely in muscles to a point where he couldn't wear an actual shirt because they couldn't cover him, and looking every bit like a big tribal man who'd been in the sun way to long, he was quite a contradicting image. While he was big and very strong, he was the meekest of the DC trio. Every other sentence he spoke ended with the phrase 'ya know?' and he was often kicked in the shin by Fujin so she could shut him up. Raijin was outspoken, rash, self-centered and willing to do whatever Seifer said. Which really translated to not a good guy to run across.

"So Fuu, Rai, what should I do to little Chickie for this assault on my person?" Seifer asked, smirk still in place. Everything, from his strong tenor class voice to the very stance he had showed that this confrontation would turn out poorly. The average little Nida who was rarely noticed decided that he should avoid some of the worst attention by hurrying to his feet.

Yet before that could happen the response to Seifer's question had come, in the form of a pudding cup. The small tub of chocolaty goodness splattered in Zell's hair, turning the bright yellow spikes to the same brown shade of the pudding cup that Seifer had thrown. Within seconds the room had degraded into a full scale food-fight. Nida, yet to actually rise from the floor though still intending to, picked up his try to use as a shield. When a spoonful of macaroni and cheese went flying over his head, the forgettable youth decided it was way past his time for an exit. Hidden below his bright red shield he dodged around youths covered in spaghetti, hotdogs, macaroni, pudding and all that other kind of thing that you find within a cafeteria at the lunch hour. One could barely raise their head without it becoming an instant target. This was where Nida's pure average appearance came in handy. People forgot he'd walked by so soon after he did that they didn't think for a moment to throw something at the bright red tray as it fled from the disaster zone that was the cafeteria.

Just outside of the place Nida paused, putting his tray down as the glass doors closed behind him. After a few minutes of catching his breath Nida carefully rose, dusted his food-free uniform off and started down the hallway. It would be better to just have lunch in his room that day, for safety reasons. Without incident he walked past members of the faculty who were running towards the cafeteria to deal with the fight. Something at this point occurred to Nida. Yes, he was fairly average, yes this often did result in people zoning out during his presentations in class, and yes it did cause an occasional awkwardness, but it did make things a lot safer right now didn't it? Who would remember the average guy that had inadvertently started the food fight of the year?

I'll tell you who… No one remembered. The rest of the senior class present had been assigned with cleaning the cafeteria and the training grounds for a month while Nida and a select few got out of it all together and got to enjoy the grumbles floating around the school about the mysterious kid who started the food fight (and fist fight between Zell and Almasy) and had gotten away with the whole thing. They all thought it was some great prank. Well I'll tell you something, it wasn't. And how would I know? Because I'm that average kid. Hey, maybe you would have noticed sooner too if you hadn't have zoned me out at the end of the first paragraph. Oh well. You get to continue about with cleaning up all of the cafeteria for a month while I can, oh so discreetly, drop a banana peel and see just where that will get me.


	7. Green

Author's Notes: Poor Nida is always treated poorly.

Theme: Green

* * *

Discrimination 

There was no smell quite as pleasing to the boy as that of fresh cut grass. With the smell came a promise of the joyous days to come. It meant wind in his hair and the rush of a goal scored. It meant that summer had come and he could once again play his favorite of the sports.

"Nida, if you don't slow down and tie your shoes you're going to trip and hurt yourself," his mother said with a sigh. It was like this every Saturday.

The young man flopped down onto the floor and set about the tying of his tennis shoes. Around his neck hung the cleats of a football player, this pride and joy. Every Saturday night he cleaned those things and his uniform and his ball with such love and devotion. His mother knew that there was little the young boy loved more than the sport that Americans alone called soccer.

"Kaa-san, do you think that the coach will put me in today?" the young asian asked.

It was the same question every week, and it broke his mother's heart to know her answer could never change.

"I do not know Nida. I am no reader of minds. Maybe he will, maybe he will not. You must take what you have and make due with it."

"I will Kaa-san," he said, smiling widely.

While she forced a smile upon her delicate face, her heart broke at the joyous tone of his voice. The youth would never know how hard she'd had to right that racist, bigot coach just to get him onto the team. He would never know that he was rejected, even though he was the most talented defender on the team, because of the fact that he was asian. How could she tell him that he'd never be equal in that man's eyes, free to run on the green turn he so loved and just be a normal kid?

So she just looked at the boy and smiled as widely as she could.

"Don't worry Nida. Next year you'll be in high school and playing in every game."

The smile of the child grew wider still and he ran outside to the car when she picked up her keys. Someday she would see her little boy happy.


	8. Hours

Author's Notes: Yes, another time compression related fic. What can I say? Inspired by a BNL song, 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time'. The song suits the ending of many FF games. This time it is dedicated to the period called time compression before it is sure that the good guys will win. Goes on the assumption that when you played the game you were smart enough to have Squall beat ALL of the Card Club and thus get them onto the Ragnarok in compression. Throw in Nida randomly and you have a great story. This is the next stop on the Nida potential pairing hint list. Meet Card Club Joker! Oh, he's the one with the Leviathan Card, the first one you play of the CC.

Theme: Hours

* * *

Broken Heart

Eyes of darkest brown took in the sight of the sky beyond the thick glass of the Ragnarok's bridge. Long fingers, calloused from years of pole arm fighting brushed unconsciously over bruising lips. While his eyes were on the dazzling image of a time compressed rainbow sky of blue and pink and violet, his mind was far away from the battle being fought somewhere under that sky. Well, not far away really, as it lingered in the observation room below him, but it was still far enough away.

He could almost still feel lips pressed against his own, even though it was only the gentle press of his fingers. They had been soft, almost pleading behind that intense, bruising force. What he hadn't been able to accept had been the need and desperation in the kiss.

Nida couldn't understand it still, though he'd been pondering for a while here. His best friend, one of his only friends for that matter, had never even hinted at this before, but when the world was so close to its possible ending, could he hold it against his friend? Well… of course he could! How dare the other guy kiss him like that? Sure, they were close, but never that close. Right?

He didn't flinch when he heard the lift start, bringing up a person he was not ready to face just yet. Nor did he flinch when the sound of boots on the metal grating reached his ears. No, Nida did not flinch until a hand came to lie upon the headrest of the seat he had claimed as his own. The newcomer gave no sign of noticing the flinch, thought Nida was quite sure that the person had not only seen, but mentally winced.

"It would be a beautiful sight if the world was not an hour from its ending," the voice said conversationally.

When Nida did not respond the other male plopped down into a nearby seat with a sigh.

"Come on, this is when you spout some of your 'our time grows shorter with every breath' mumbo jumbo man!"

Still the SeeD level aviator did not rise to the bait. His trust of the Card Club member had been broken. For a second his fingers ached to brush over his lips once more, to be sure that he had a reason to be mad, but he refused to do that in front of the one dubbed 'Joker'.

"You're mad at me for kissing you," the Card Club Joker stated, his voice deadpan.

"Why?"

"Why what?" he actually had the nerve to ask.

"Why did you do it? Why did you kiss me? Was it real, or did you just wanna kiss a guy before you died?"

"It's weird you know," Joker said, taking the seat by Nida's. "When you realize that you're maybe only an hour away from death, you realize what you can and can't live without. You realize how screwed up your priorities are, and where you really wanted to be and what you really wanted was actually right there all along."

The non-SeeD reached out to force Nida to look into his eyes. "You've been here all along, and damnit I wish I had realized it sooner.

Nida jerked away. "I'm glad you didn't."

With that the SeeD rose and looked at his friend. After a minute of glancing in those hopeful eyes he turned and headed for the lift. His fingers hesitated over the controls for a moment before hitting down. Just before he was completely out of sight from his downward ride, he turned and saw the look of unbelievable pain in those once hopeful eyes. Somewhere inside he hoped that all of the fighting would really be in vain, because how could he live now? Could someone really exist when they would live counting the hours since they had broken their best friend's heart?


	9. Days

Author's Notes: Use of the words glue and door coupled with the revenge theme and days today. Dedicated to one of my classmates, who has been a bitch since I wrote this but too bad because he hasn't read it yet. Based off of an RP two friend and I did once for an RP community on LJ. While the actual causative incident will only be hinted at, I assure you that it was very good.

Theme: Days

* * *

Revenge 

More than anything Nida really wasn't the kind of person to do something quite like this, but extreme times called for extreme measures right? Revenge was a suitably extreme measure yes? Still, he couldn't help the sick feeling in his stomach. It said that this was not right.

The time was midnight, the place was the locker room attached to the training grounds. In his glove covered hand was a bucket filled with this specific purpose. Within his other hand was a large brush. With this insidious scheme he'd have his vengeance upon Seifer Almasy.

He had always been one to believe that revenge was a dish served cold, and he had let this chill for six months, until the perfect time to strike had found him. Three days before he'd discovered the perfect tool to use against Seifer as revenge for the embarrassment inflicted upon him. That tool was the relationship that few were privy to, a whirlwind and sometimes violent relationship with one Zell Dincht. Nida had been going into the locker room to change when he came upon the duo, Zell pushed up against Seifer's locker while the older blonde attacked Zell's neck with his lips.

So here Nida was now, covering the entirety of Zell and Seifer's lockers with the paste that would stick for days on end, hoping that the repeats of the incident that he'd seen over the past few days would catch his arrogant prey. Seifer would get what he deserved. After the deed was done the young asian

Ditched the brush and glue deep within the training grounds and slipped back to his dorm. Soon Seifer would taste the same humiliation of being outed in public as Nida had been by him some time before.


	10. Life

Author's Notes: Oh god. Originally this was supposed to be this great two paragraph thing. And then it turned into this great epic thing. And then before bed one night I realized, like… ZOMG this would work so much better as a life-study for Nida. So I took out all of the one-shot to make a story of it instead and ended up with this.

Theme: Life

* * *

Down With the Ship 

He could still remember them, all those mornings where he'd felt like nothing could ever destroy his bliss. They had come with the territory, with the peace he'd always known since after the Sorceress War. The grass was always greener at those times, and it always seemed like there was plenty of time to sleep in and still finish his work. But those days had somehow faded into the past, into the darkness.

It had been a good journey really. All Nida had started as was a random Garden cadet in Balamb, but somehow he'd made SeeD, and then the pilot of Garden. In the past he'd fought alongside the great Squall Leonheart in the Sorceress War. After that, when the peace came and Esthar had constructed its own Garden, Nida had somehow become an instructor there, under the command of Squall once more. Yet one day, it had happened… Squall disappeared into oblivion, and the replacement Headmaster, Kiros (formerly a major part of Estharian government before Laguna died) passed away. Suddenly it was Nida in the position of power.

This too had been fine once the mourning had left him, and for many years he had lead the Garden, up to the brink of war. A Third Sorceress War, this one pitting the SeeDs against the fallen Sorceress Rinoa, had brought great pain into his life. His wife was murdered, he suffered a massive heart attack and was paralyzed for the rest of his life. Even then, he'd managed to survive somehow, having his twin daughters and the victory over Rinoa to keep him going.

So why, if he had been able to survive two sorceress wars (three if you count that one in his childhood), why did it come to this? Everything had started fine. Nida had checked over the entirety of the Ragnarok himself before they'd set out. Why were the systems failing over the middle of the ocean with no hope? Why did the escape pod only have space for two? Why was this ship, working well for over fifty years, suddenly failing? As he sent his beloved daughters to the escape pod he wondered if it was because the thing sensed what he sensed… a coming end to their long lives.

Nida was relieved as he heard the computer announce that his children were safe. So he sat back, and watched the sea rush up to meet him.

A pilot always went down with his ship.


	11. Ends

Author's Notes: Inspired by a Dave Matthews song. Brought to you by more LotP depression. Been meaning to write this one for a long time now. The song just seems like something perfect for a fic, but the obvious pairing, Squall/Rinoa, just isn't my thing. So I improvise in my favorite!

Theme: Ends

* * *

Empty 

He never really woke up until there was a mug before him. The coffee woke him like nothing else could anymore. It took the burn of the bitter fluid, the scalding of tongue and throat to the point where he couldn't feel them, to wake him up. There was never anything to lessen the power of the dark liquid: no sugar to hide the bitterness in the fluid or in his mind; no milk to cool the drink and lessen its attempts to warm his always cold heart.

Every morning it was the same up, a large ceramic thing that had been given to him as a birthday gift, back before it all. A large feline stretched across it, and its tail acted as the handle. The sides were all worn, the color of all but the tail lost in the mornings they had shared together, with him drinking from another cup and talking about politics, and the other drinking from this cup, pointing out the flaws with the plans and telling how he'd change the world. He had loved those mornings, where they would wake up after being curled together so perfectly, knowing that they could change the world just as it could change them.

Those were the days, where everything was exciting. Each night they found something new about each other to enjoy, some new way to prove their love, some new game that made them happy. Back in those days they used to laugh so loud, so hard that if they'd had neighbors the cops probably would have been called. They didn't laugh now though, it was just quiet, and all of that old fire had died away at some point. He missed it really, and so many times he'd tried desperately to rekindle the flame they had shared. It was almost as if they had both turned to ice.

Nida looked up from the feline mug as he heard his own lion stalk into the kitchen. Even in those heavy boots the other made no sound on the hard word floor. Brown eyes met blue, and before either said a thing both knew how it would end.

"I…" Squall started, opening his mouth just so slightly.

"I was thinking," Nida cut him off, not ready to hear it just yet, against all odds.

"About?" the brunette asked.

"That time, a few winters back, on our first anniversary…"

Squall actually smiled, something Nida saw so rarely these days, "Making love by the fire place…"

"Your lips tasted like whiskey."

"If you hadn't have gotten me drunk they wouldn't have," Squall said with a small smile.

"And then the summer after that, on your birthday. I took you to the river at midnight. Do you remember that?"

The hero nodded, "It was so cold, and there was so many stars in the sky."

"They were in your eyes too," the pilot said, knowing that the love of the comment was long since lost to his lover.

"We had a lot of good times like that," he responded, and shifted his grip on the gunblade case. Nida noted the presence of a duffle bag in the other hand and frowned.

"I'll miss them. I'll miss you."

"I can't stay… I don't want to go, just…"

Silence came between them, so thick, so oppressing that neither knew just how to break it. Nida was the first to try.

"I don't want you to go, but things are different now. You really should go."

The older male nodded and headed for the door, not even looking back. So Nida sat there, drinking the burning fluid and trying to find it in himself to care that his lover was gone. Sure, they'd had so much fun, and for a while he'd known that Squall was the one he was meant to be with, but that time and feeling had passed. Sometimes though, it was hard to remember what it had been like, when they were happy. They'd go out with their friends with clubs at first, and they danced and danced until they could barely move, and everyone else had wanted relationships like the one they had. Hyne how Nida had wished so often recently to have those days back.

Except he couldn't, so why even try? Sure, they'd changed so many things this past year to try and keep things together, but it had been doomed. Still Nida couldn't help but feel like he could have done more.

In the utter silence he sipped at the scalding coffee, hoping it would warm him, only to find he'd already finished the coffee. With a sigh Nida rose and threw the cup he'd been drinking from, Squall's cup, into the trash. Soon enough he'd get over this all… the pain was already fading. Nida knew that by the end of the day there would be no proof of Squall ever being there… but a single mark on the calendar. A small red dot with the words 'the day you went'.

Now he had the whole day ahead of him, with nothing to do but prove that Squall had never really been there.


	12. Circle

Author's Notes: Mixing Nida, the theme and the word reloaded. Now HOWEVER shall I do that? Nida seems to have an addition...

Theme: Circle

* * *

And The Winner Is... 

"Oh come ON!" he shouted at the screen before him. No matter what he did it just wouldn't work the way it really needed to.

"Problem?" a voice drawled as an auburn head looked up from another one of his inappropriate magazines. Nida had absolutely no clue where Irvine kept all of the things. About a month back he'd tried to purge their dorm of the disgusting and degrading materials. Personally Nida had nothing about objectifying women, but the fact that they were objectifying men instead was creepy. Well hell, that wasn't even creepy, just the way Irvine would sometimes seem to be comparing Nida to the centerfolds was.

"Would I be shouting if there wasn't a problem?" the pilot snapped at the 'cowboy'.

Seriously, what had been the other teen's idea? Cowboys only existed in stupid movies, so how exactly did Irvine think that dressing like some fantasy thing made him sexy? It was all just ridiculous. With a sigh the dark haired youth repeatedly hit the refresh button on his keyboard. Damnit if this thing didn't start working the way he wanted it to soon, he was going to flip.

"I don't know Nid, I imagine you are more than capable of shouting when things are perfectly alright," the sharp-shooter winked at Nida and gave him a winning smile. Of course after half a year sharing a room with Irvine the Galbadian raised orphan stopped catching him off guard with the shameless and pointless flirting.

Still, Nida did frown at the comment, less at the lewdness and more at the diminutive of his name. "It's Nida, not Nid. N-I-D-A. Got it hot shot?"

"Loud and clear," Irvine chuckled, going back to his magazine. And yet he obviously wasn't devoted to it, as his eyes kept flashing over to the computer bound SeeD.

"Then shut up and let me focus here," Nida said angrily, pounding still on the refresh button.

"My dear fly-boy, you just know how to hit all the right buttons."

Once more the refresh button was hit, this time at the same moment the 'thud-flap-oof!' reached his ears, the sound of a pillow being thrown at Irvine, hitting him, sending the magazine flying, and Irvine falling back on his bed. Nida grinned and stretched out more on his bed to focus on the laptop. His eyes stared hard at the monitor and sighed. The timer just wasn't moving fast enough. Another refresh and…

"YES!" he shouted, bouncing easily on the bed to shift the computer into his lap. "BINGO!"

Irvine sighed and slowly got back to a sitting position. "What did you buy this time?"

"Doesn't matter," Nida admitted, smiling at the other teen. "I half more than half the stuff sold before it gets here, for a fine profit…"

This cause the other to laugh, "Damn, you're like a revolving door of E-Bay auctions! But one would thing your SeeD paycheck was enough."

"You kidding? That barely supports my little business."

"Business?" the cowboy laughed, "More like addiction. Now get the hell off of your damn website and get your ass over here."

Nida smirked and turned off the computer only after using his paypal to send the gil along for his latest purchase. This would be something he didn't just turn around and sell. No, it was a beautiful, beautiful silver chocker that hid a locket in the large bar on the front, much like Seifer's. It would make a good Valentine's Day Gift for Irvine… With this done he set the thing aside, took the dirty magazine away from Irvine to toss into some random corner, and let the rest of the night run its usual course.


	13. Enemies

Author's Notes: Whispers in the Dark by Skillet was the song requested for me to write too. Started good but the song went one way and I kind of went another. But seriously, I hear it and my mind leaps to a battle. 

A glaive-guisarme and a voulge are both pole arms that I have difficulty explaining without getting into something really long. So if you want to know about them I ask that you look them up. My version of Nida has always been a user of pole arms and it took me a few hours to figure out which ones he would have been carrying considering the situation and timing of this in relation to the Pilot Wings arc that this story is kind of a part of. A bit of an AU take on a battle that happened during the war Nida mentioned in passing during the story. One day I'll actually get to writing about it for my own enjoyment since it is unlikely that anyone wants to read it. War just isn't fun is it?

Theme: Enemies

* * *

Hero

Sparks flew from where the blades meet, the metal screaming out from the force of the blow that sent the SeeD staggering back. A momentary lapse in the SeeD's defense found the enemy recovering and lunging towards the pilot to ram his sword into Nida's shoulder. There was a scream as pain erupted through the whole of the mercenary's right arm, but it lasted for just a heartbeat before the dark haired youth recovered himself. While his grip on his glaive-guisarme had failed when he'd been stabbed, Nida's hand closed tighter than before around the wooden haft before ramming the blade of his pole arm into the chest of his enemy.

"Looks like I win the battle, little bird," the red haired swords man gasped out through his pain. All it got him though was Nida forcing the weapon deeper, forcing the hook on the back of the blade into the flesh.

"Maybe," Nida groaned, as the action put pain on the new wound, "but don't think that means you'll win the war."

"You think the Lion can stop us?"

Nida smiled as the man impaled on his weapon coughed up blood. As the light faded from those hateful eyes, as Nida felt his own energy slowly flowing out of him with his blood, the smile turned into a grin.

"I know he can…"

"Surprising confidence for someone about to die for a pointless cause," came the voice of Nida's other opponent, halfway across the room.

Odd, he'd forgotten in that last moment that there had been two men here, waiting for him. Here he'd gone out of his way to give his life to make the battle a bit easier for the others and all he did was get himself killed while taking out the lesser of their foes. Squall was going to be disappointed with him. To think that he'd been so confident in his abilities that he'd thought he could take out two of them at once. Hell, the other one hadn't even drawn their weapon out yet. He'd even lost the voulge he'd started the battle with, the red head's sword having managed to cut through the wooden shaft just inches from the blade, rendering it useless.

"It's not pointless," the pilot coughed out, slowly pushing the dead foe away. Sadly he didn't have the strength to pull his weapon from the man. It was all he could do to pull himself from the man's sword and slowly gain his feet.

It didn't matter to Nida that he was dying. He had to take out the old man who stood there taunting him. The whole plan relied upon it. Nida was not willing to let all the loss of life go to waste. Hundreds dead in one hour to get him to this place, for his mission. If he wasn't going to be able to carry it out he was at least going to go down fighting to make a further attempt easier for the other SeeDs.

"Should you really be standing in your condition?" the old man mocked him as a battle axe was pulled from its place at his back. A double bladed battle axe. A double bladed battle axe with scratches and nicks and all the signs of it being a weapon used often in a fight. The kind of weapon that with the right force behind it could easily cleave his head in two.

Not the prettiest way to go, but probably better than bleeding out.

"Does it matter?" Nida asked, lifting the sword of his fallen enemy in his good hand. "I die either way."

"Silly boy," the old man sighed. "Don't you understand? You do not have to die here and now. Join us and have new life in Hyne. Live forever and help us rule the world. It is not as if you have a better choice. We shall live like kings once our master awakens."

"I think," the pilot said, staggering forward step by step, "I'll pass."

"Suit yourself, boy. At least I can impart to you the death of a warrior!"

Nida managed to defend from the first blow, holding the sword wet with his own blood just above his head to stop the blade just inches from his head. His good arm went numb from the pain of stopping a blow of that force, and so when the man struck again, this time with less force it wasn't surprising that the sword was dropped and Nida fell to his knees.

It ended here, he noted, looking at the grinning old man. Ended like this no matter how hard he fought. Better him than Squall or Seifer though. Better him than Irvine who wouldn't have lasted a minute against the red-haired swordsman Nida had killed. Better him than Quistis and Selphie and Rinoa who all relied on magic these days, or Zell who would be wholly unarmed. Better a man who could be replaced than someone as invaluable as them.

_Siren_, he called out into his mind, to the Guardian nestled far back in his mind.

_I'm so sorry my falcon. I wish I could have done more to help you. But this place… _The voice of the musical guardian was heavy with the mourning of his pending fate. Together, through his eyes, they watched the axe being raised in preparation for the final blow.

_I know. Please, go. If you stay here you'll die. If you hide in the pendant you will be taken. Neither is acceptable. Leave me and seek the others out._

_You can't die. Do not leave me little one. I will help you. We'll fight together._

_No,_ he hissed, _go and tell Squall what has happened. And tell him I'm sorry for failing him._

There was nothing from the GF, her presence gone as he gave the final word, casting the magic of the being from his body, that she might survive and pass on his message. For a second, before the blow fell the air was heavy with her magic. And then the slow motion that had seemed to occupy Nida's last seconds fell with the axe aimed for his head…

Sparks flew from where the meeting of weapons and metal screamed out from the force axe hitting something very hard and very solid. Nida's eyes, which had closed as he'd accepted his fate, opened to see blue above him, holding the steel of death at bay. Softly glowing blue at that…

"Squall…"

The other SeeD should not be there. That was all Nida could think of. He was the man in charge of the forces fighting for the world. He was the biggest target for their enemy. He had other people to defend. He had a battle to lead. Laguna, Rinoa and Nida had spent half of the conference trying to dissuade Squall from joining Nida's fight. It had taken the first pleading and the second crying to get Squall to agree at last.

"He just doesn't listen does he?" a voice came from behind Nida, and it wasn't Squall's. Squall was too busy forcing the old man with the axe back to speak. And with the voice a weight came to rest over Nida's shoulders.

"Come on, let the Ice Prince fight your battles for you," the blond gunblader, Squall's second in command, said as he draped his trench coat over Nida's shoulders.

Before he could protest the calm of a sleep spell over took Nida. Without Siren he had no defense against the dirty trick that Seifer was known for using on higher up fighters who was going to refuse to listen to him.

When he finally broke free from the dreamless rest the spell provided, Nida was still in the same dark hall, but the scene was different. An arrogant blond was checking bandaging at his shoulder, frowning down, but in a way that wasn't as sad or disappointed as Nida would have expected. And on the other side of Nida sat the black clad Lion of Balamb, silent and stoic as ever.

"You awake now Flyboy?" Seifer asked, looking a bit relieved.

"I…"

The blonde shook his head. "Don't talk. You lost a lot of blood and you're gonna need all your energy just to haul your ass after us."

"I don't…"

"Like we're gonna leave the fate of the world in your hands Nomura," Seifer said, answering the question Nida didn't get the chance to finish.

"Time to go," Squall said, standing and lifting the Lionheart from where it had lain on the floor.

"Yeah yeah. Hold your chocobos. At least let me get this moron standing."

The younger gunblade master stared down at Nida for just a second before turning away and heading for the stairs that had been guarded by the old man and the red head when Nida had first shown up. Apparently even his patience could last only so long. Seifer sighed and stood, holding out a hand to haul Nida to his feet. For a minute the pilot just stared up at the blond before taking the hand.

"You know, sometimes... he confuses me," Seifer admitted. He stooped for a moment to pick something up from the floor and pressed it into the hands of the still slightly out of it pilot.

Nida looked in shock at the weapon in his hands. Last he'd seen of his glaive-guisarme it had been buried in the chest of his opponent. Now here it was, completely clean of blood, shining with polish and with an edge that could probably cut silk in half. Needless to say it hadn't been in this condition when last Nida had held it.

"He spent the whole time you were out, after killing the old guy, getting it all fixed up for you. I wasn't sure if you were going to make it for a while, but he still insisted that you'd want your thing when you woke up."

The pilot blinked and leaned carefully against the weapon that was taller than he was, using it to support some of his weight. As was to be expected Nida was hardly in the state to walk after losing so much blood, but at least this would make it easier. There was still work to do.

"You shouldn't have…" he started, only to be cut off again as Seifer started after Squall.

"I didn't. He did. I just followed him… It was him that did everything. Said there was something he just had to do."

The man paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder and smirking. "Damn lucky he likes having you around…"

Frankly, that was probably the only statement Seifer had ever made that Nida had agreed with…


	14. Friends

AN: This is way past overdue. Was a birthday gift for my friend Leaf. And as my one and only Nida-shipper of the lot, I decided to make her a Nida fic. Not only that, but it's a sequel to one of my FAVORITE Nida fics that I wrote. That is right, I'm going to attempt to have Nida fix the mess he made of CCJoker's heart. This might not be easy…

Theme: Friends

* * *

A month. A whole month and he could still feel those lips against his. Every time he woke up, every night before he went to sleep, any time his mind would wander free, he would feel those lips. And it would happen at the worst possible times as well. When he was showering in the mornings, or teaching a class… Half of the day Nida spent wondering if he had made the right decision, and his fingers longed to brush his lips, as if that would wipe away the memory. Yet nothing could do that sort of thing. Even at night he dreamt of the kiss, and the pure sorrow that had been in the eyes of his best friend.

He was thinking of it now. Here he was eating his lunch with the 'heroes of sorceress war' and he was totally zoned out. Nida's mind was toying with the idea of that kiss, of the words that had come after that. His fork was managing to push some food around and there were even occasional forkfuls that made it to his mouth. Of course those were still few and far between. The SeeD pilot probably couldn't even tell you what exactly it was that he was supposed to be eating.

"…Don't you think Nida?" Selphie's cheerful voice cut through his thoughts.

"Huh… what? Oh, yeah," Nida responded, shaking his head and glaring at his fork as if it had left him out of some serious conversation on purpose.

"Really? You think Seifer is cute?" Quistus chuckled. Apparently the girls had noticed his lack of focus and had decided to play a joke on him. Zell and Irvine found it funny as hell and were laughing, but Squall seemed quite annoyed with the group.

"Must you two make a joke of everything? Aren't you supposed to be setting a good example for us Quistus?" the brunet asked, his frown becoming a glare.

"The ladies are just having fun Squall. No need to be a spoil sport," Irvine teased.

"It's okay Squall," Nida added, trying to sound convincing, but who was he kidding, "I'm find. It was kinda funny. Really, I should have been paying more attention."

"I'll say," Selphie agreed, chuckling. "What is up Nids? You seem kinda… sad."

"Maybe he's plotting a way to become the new Card Club Joker," Zell suggested. "I don't think he'll get it though. You knocked the whole club down a notch Squall."

The scarred youth rolled his eyes. "I told them that I'm not interested. I'd rather give my cards to Laguna."

"What about the old Card Club Joker?" Nida asked, suddenly interested by the conversation.

"He left, didn't you know?" Irvine asked, brushing an imaginary piece of dust off of his coat. "Not that it matters or anything. Just another card playing fanatic. We need less anyway."

"He's still a person," Nida hissed. With that he just pushed his seat from the table and stormed off.

Apparently out of sight was not out of mind. Nida couldn't help but wonder if the last Joker had left because of him. No, he wasn't Joker anymore. He was just Jason. His best friend. The best friend that Nida had broken the heart of. The best friend that Nida couldn't stop thinking about.

"He was your best friend, wasn't he?" Squall's voice came from behind the young pilot. Nida had been so consumed by his thoughts of his best friend that he hadn't for a moment noticed the gunblader following him.

"Why would you say that?" Nida asked as he leaned against the wall that divided the walkways from the small moat-like water fixture.

"I do know you enough to know that you wouldn't just react like that for anything less…"

"What, Squall wants to talk about feelings now?" Nida asked, knowing Squall would merely roll his eyes at the harsh comment.

"Just want to say that you shouldn't let things important to you go. Otherwise you regret it later and over compensate."

"Speaking from experience?" the pilot teased.

"Laguna is nothing if not persistent."

Both chuckled at the comment, before growing quiet for a time. Squall and Nida weren't big on words after all. Finally Squall turned away from Nida and brushed a bit of his bangs from his eyes.

"You're due for some leave of absence, SeeD Nomura," Squall said. "I hear Dollet is nice this time of year."

And with that Squall had slipped off, returning to the cafeteria. But Nida got the message loud and clear. Dollet it was then.

* * *

Dollet was a very calm place. There was sea and sun, and plenty of culture. In fact, Jason, the former Balamb Garden Card Club Joker was enjoying his time there all things considered. He was staying with his great uncle, who just happened to be the one that designed the images for Triple Triad cards. And the Card Queen was very nice to him. Things were as good as he could hope for, except for the fact that he had let his best friend down…

"Jason, be a good boy and get the door won't you?" his great uncle called from the main room. The old man was working on making a new card, and his hands were covered in paint. And with the man's daughter away there was only Jason left to get the door. The former Joker nodded and entered the main room, frowning at the fact that he hadn't even heard the knock on the door because of his thoughts on Nida.

"Hel…" Jason had started to greet whoever was at the door. Had he actually been looking up instead of towards the person's feet, maybe he wouldn't have been so shocked. Then again, being pulled into a kiss upon opening a door wasn't something you could prepare yourself for.

When released the former Garden student pulled back and blinked. His fingers went to his lips before he even really looked up at the person who had kissed him.

"Ni…Nida?"

Truth enough there was the one Jason had pined for nearly a year now. Garden's pilot, the one who had rejected him. Who had just kissed him.

"Sorry it took so long," Nida said, blushing the most amazing shade of red. "Head versus heart and all."

Jason just smiled, "I would have waited forever anyway."


	15. Sunset

Author's Notes: Yes I used an old sailing adage. Shoot me.

Theme: Sunset

* * *

They say it's the smog, from back when all the trains where coal burning, that makes the sky so red when the sun goes down. Of course, back at Garden the SeeDs took something else from the coloring. Red sky at night, tomorrow's delight; red sky at morning, today's warning. Had to do with weather, barometric pressure, all those kinds of things that he could define, but didn't want to. All of that was behind him now.

The last train of the day pulls in, and Nida checks his pockets for the ticket he'd bought not ten minutes before. It's not there, and he's hardly surprised. There isn't even reason to panic, all he needs to do is turn and frown severely at the person who he's known has been following him since Balamb.

"I'm leaving. He knows that, he's okay with that, and I'm okay with that. Now, return my ticket and let me go in peace."

"You don't want this," Xu protests, and still holds out the ticket. All she had to do was stall him after all. Long enough to miss his train to Hyne only knew where.

"Maybe," he agrees easily, but smiles anyway. With the ticket in hand he makes his way towards the train.

"Wait!" the Instructor demands, rushing to keep up with his longer strides. He's grown, she hasn't. He's determined, her not as much. He's escaping, she won't get the chance to stop that if he can help it.

"Can't we just talk about this?"

"You know, I'm pretty sure that the lives of civilians aren't the concern of SeeD."

"But you aren't a civilian!"

The smile fades and he actually turns on her, hand raised in anger, but unable to strike his former instructor, colleague, friend. Besides, striking her would let her win. Striking would mean she could retaliate, restrain, return him to Balamb Garden in whatever transportation she has already arranged for such ends. Returning would destroy his ability to do this, to leave.

"I turned in my uniform, resigned my commission, requested and _was accepted for _an honorable discharge from SeeD. Even wrapped the whole thing up in a neat little red bow and left it on the Commander's desk. Cid's signatures on all the essentials. Had it effective for the moment I stepped outside of Garden. Since we're in Timber, I'd think that yes, I am in fact a civilian now and entitled to my privacy."

"Nida..."

The former Instructor, Pilot, SeeD, member of Garden, glanced from Xu to the train and back. Again he smiles, just barely. It's for her sake he does so, not for his own.

"Don't worry. I can handle myself Xu. I wasn't a SeeD for nothing. I'll be fine."

"And what about him? What will he do without you at Garden?"

"Be happier."

So easy to say that, when they both know it's a lie for now. Ultimately it might prove right, but no one knows how things will go.

"How can you turn your back on all that time with him so easily?"

"Who ever said it was easy?"

It's all he says before breaking into a run. Any more lingering and he can't get away. In the end he makes it on the train just as the door is closing, with Xu having no chance of catching up.

He presents his ticket to the conductor and moves down the train to find a seat. There is only one other person in the car bound for Deling, it's later than normal for travel after all, and not the season for it either. So many seats are empty, so many places to choose from.

The pack he'd been carrying is stowed in an overhead compartment, the weapon the conductor had checked placed in an empty seat. Finally he plops down, tired from his encounter, right next to the only other person in the car.

"Took you long enough to get on."

The former SeeD just leaned back in his seat, not in the mood for conversation. When a hand comes to rest over his, entangling their fingers, he can't help but smile.

"Thank you for doing that."

"Really, what business do they have sending her after me anyway? Talk about sticking their noses where they don't belong."

"Wait until they find out that paperwork is all faked."

"Should take them a while." Here Nida couldn't help but laugh. "After all, will they really think about calling Cid about it after I argued so brilliantly? And who is going to go into your office without permission to look at the stuff?"

"How long until you think they figure out I'm not around?"

"Considering just how reclusive you are, I give it about two weeks before the smarter ones catch onto our master plan."

With that Nida leaned over and kissed the scarred brunette. Two weeks of vacation alone in Deling with Squall. And they'd both left their cellphones in a hotel in Balamb when they'd started the final plans in motion two days before. So long as the world didn't blow up between now and then, this was going to be good for them.

"So lay back and relax Squally boy. I've never been to Deling and I'm expecting you to show me a damn good time for having to distract everyone while you snuck out of Garden to get here. Understand?"

"Whatever."


	16. Too Much

Author's Notes: My friend is trying to help me from my slump. So I asked her for five words. Thus this story is required to have a paperclip, a lace fan, ivy, a lawn mower, and carpet. I think I have fulfilled the demands!

Theme: Too Much

* * *

Raindrops and Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

This was not what they had been expecting, not in the least. Suddenly they could understand why Rinoa had asked Squall to give her a week's warning if he wanted to borrow the small cottage her family owned outside of Deling City. At first they had thought it was because someone might be staying there, but Rinoa had said it was just that she would want to send people to 'spruce up' a bit before allowing her dear knight to stay there. Considering the rushed nature of their departure from Garden, and desire to keep hidden the fact that Squall was taking a short break with Nida, who had 'quit' Garden as a distraction so Squall could sneak out, neither had thought of it. They had the keys to the place, they knew where it was, and Rinoa said it was fully furnished. What better place to hide out as the woman would probably forget all about it?

Neither had been expecting a cottage hidden behind a lawn that hadn't seen a mower in what looked like five years, and was covered on three sides with monstrous growths of ivy such that it almost looked like it was being eaten by an Ochu. One had to wonder if an Ochu might actually be hiding somewhere in the wilderness that passed as a lawn, but only barely. Squall's hand even rested on the hilt of Lion Heart, which almost made Nida laugh. Or would have if he hadn't had his own suspicions about the place.

"Well... no one will think to look for us here?" the pilot said, trying to break the tension caused by their shock.

"No one would have thought of it anyway. And no one will think to look for our bodies here either."

With that joke, or what could be called a joke coming from Squall, Nida smiled and lifted up his pack. No point in lingering outside really, and it might take them a while to get to the door.

"I'm sure the inside will be far better. Think about it Squall: a hot bath, soft bed, a fire place from the looks of it..."

"Wouldn't trust it to work knowing Caraway and Miss Heartly."

"Stop raining on this vacation Squall. We aren't paying anything for it, no one will find us, and we got away from Balamb and Timber without much trouble other than Xu. Think of the small blessings."

"Whatever."

Instead of correcting Squall's favorite word, Nida just shoved his partner into the jungle before them. "Come on Lion, cut us a path to the door. Promise that it will be worth it in the end."

True to Nida's estimations, the inside was better than the out, though not by too much. Instead of a nice modern house with basic furnishings, the place was almost completely decorated. That itself wouldn't have been much of a problem if it hadn't been for the fact that it was definitely decorated by one of those little old ladies that loved dollies and fancy painted tea-cups and probably collected dolls with scary faces and displayed them as if they were pictures of beloved children. Even Nida's optimism was being squashed by the dusty lace fans on the walls and cute little kitten laps. Squashed down into the too thick for comfort, rosy pink carpeting.

"Nida..."

"Uh..."

The pair looked around the main room before putting down their bags and with the smallest gesture of agreement, the pair split up to look through the other rooms. Leaving Squall to the bedroom and bathroom, Nida went to explore the kitchen and what was attached. The kitchen was no better than the living room, decorated in soft butter cream with knick-knacks all around. Apples with smilie faces here, little fat chefs as salt and pepper shakers there. Another set of delicate bone china cups with pansies painted on them, plates with puppies chasing kittens through strawberry patches. It was all repulsively cute in a little old lady way. Something you could put up with for an hour but not a week. Nida fled into the next room and was almost relieved to find himself in a small library. There were shelves of books and a desk as well as a nice couch and the fireplace. Everything was very orderly here, not a single paper clip out of place. Quickly Nida began to inspect the books around him, hoping there would be some of the historical fictions Squall enjoyed, or the fantasies he preferred. All he found were romance novels though. The kinds with buxom milk maids, well hung stable boys, and too many heaving chests. All of this was just far too much. As scared of all of this as he was of the living room, Nida slowly backed out of the room, and through the kitchen.

"The guest bedroom is decorated with unicorns."

Nida jumped at the sudden words from directly behind him, whirling upon Squall and almost tripping over his own feet before he caught himself and realized what was said. Unicorns...

"Must have been Rinoa's?"

Squall nodded in agreement.

"And the main bedroom?"

"Flowers."

"Flowers..."

The brunette nodded and crossed his arms across his chest in annoyance. It was more than evident just what he thought of this place. Probably belonged to Caraway's mother. What had Rinoa been thinking to offer it as a place for Squall to hide away from the world?

"Hotel?"

"Deling has a few that wouldn't reveal the names of the guests."

"It's a long walk to Deling from here. At least three hours."

"Better that than this."

Nothing Nida could think of could refute that.

"Better get going then."

"You're paying."

Nida watched Squall walk away to grab his pack and weapon with his mouth open. He hadn't been the one to suggest this place after all. And he'd bitten the bullet and dealt with Xu so Squall could sneak away from Garden. Hell, he'd done all of the planning but picking out where they would stay. This was not fair, not fair at all.

"Come on, or I'm leaving you to the kittens and Ochus."

As he ran after Squall, Nida tried to figure out which would be the worse fate.

In the end, kittens won. Hands down.


	17. Parents

Author's Notes: I like to occasionally play with Nida's past. This is one of my rarer, but more interesting ideas of what is in Nida's background, though it doesn't turn out too good for him I suppose. Written to Feeder's lovely song Comfort in Sound

Theme: Parents

* * *

Esthar

Esthar, the city of light. A world hidden from the rest, all of blue and silver and gold and white. Everywhere one looked they could easily see the touch of technologies such as had never been seen outside of this one city, save in a place that was now dead. These descendants, this colony, the eastern remnant of the great Centra civilization, the whole of this place was like nothing so many in the world had ever seen before. Where other cities and towns were places of straight lines and sharp corners, Esthar flowed in ways that really couldn't be described outside of art, poetry, or just plain sight. Buildings glowed not only with the lights from windows, but it was almost as if the very crystalline material they were made of had its own light to shed. Never enough to blind, always enough to see by, never enough to block the beauty of a winter sky, but always warm and welcoming to a returning citizen, or a weary traveler. He knew that better than most. There were very few who could fit in either category ever since the hiding of the city. Even less that could claim both.

Amid all of the almost delicate looking buildings, surrounded by so much advanced technology, it was almost silly to think to find anything green, beyond a few main transportation pipes. Not only was this a city that delighted more in it's own construction than in greenery, it was a place where few obviously cared for the idea of tending to plants and the dirt that came with it. There were, of course, green houses, and areas in the more remote areas of the continent that could support the life that the great salt plains the city was built upon couldn't. Yet everything about the city would suggest that finding anything more than a greenhouse for pretty flowers, or the occasional potted plant was quite unlikely. Finding a place where you could look up to the sky without seeing buildings, a place where the glow of the roads was distant, a place where the robes common to the Estharian people just didn't seem practical, a place calm, peaceful, and free of the constant hum that came with the roadways. Only one place like this existed in the city, and to think that for all of his time here, he'd only managed to stumble upon it by pure chance in this week long visit for a bit of the political dabbling that the Gardens were now involved in. That he hadn't known of this park near the outskirts of the city was a testament not to lack of trying on his part, but the sheer size of the city that he hadn't known of it until today.

It wasn't much, he would admit that quite easily. After years living so close to the plains of Balamb, enjoying the forests outside of the fire caverns, even enjoying the bit of life there was to be had in the quads, common areas, and training grounds of the Garden, he had taken very much to the wildness of the world. The sound of wind through the leaves of the trees, the scent of grass damp with dew, the feel of being stretched out in the sun to nap, all were pleasures he took now that he hadn't had in his childhood. This little park with it's too short grass, perfectly pruned trees, strictly set flowerbeds, it wasn't natural really. But it was nature at that, a piece of the rest of the world in this technological paradise, the touch of reminder of Balamb and Garden, and the place he called home. Or had come to think of as home at least. What an odd contrast it made with the truth.

Somewhere in the back of his mind a GF probed at his senses, a delicate touch, but still excited from the feel of it. This one, Siren, had been enjoying the sensations of Esthar since their arrival with the dispatch of SeeDs sent to escort Ellone back to the city, as well as make an honor guard during a presentation of awards for the 'heroes of the war'. It was good she was with him of course, others might be confused by the sense of familiarity the Guardian had for the city, the joy at the hum of the roads that seemed much like one of her songs if a person really though about it, or the way her consciousness had recoiled slightly when Doctor Odine had been present with the official welcome committee for the SeeDs. She knew the city just like he did, she had spent years here of her own, part of early studies into the GFs, into Para-magic, into the things which would become the basis for potions and elixirs and other tonics which later helped the heroes in their battle, and many others in daily life. Through her he could even smell the distant scent of Elnoyle that roamed the salt flats along with many other creates from the Lunar Cry and before then. Siren both enjoyed and loathed those creatures. Enjoyed to work together with a person to vanquish them, loathed them for their similarity to another creature into which she had been placed before it had been released, in hopes that she would come safely into the hands of the SeeDs. So many subtle plots she had been privy to, and shared at times with him. Not that he was free of his own, or that he could withhold them from her. Only they really had known of the city before the heroes had gotten here, and they could only reach out to each other about it. No one else knew that of course. Or they hadn't until today.

Everything had been a caused by a bit of bad luck on top of ill timing on top of dealing with a foolish man who just couldn't remember when to keep his mouth shut. Not that he could blame President Loire of course. A joyous day to be shared by all now that peace had come, and the announcement of his relationship to the stoic Commander of Balamb Garden. How could he not want to share his pride as a father, as late as it came, with another father who should have great pride in a son who was willing to give everything for a greater good? What did it matter that the father was a member of the Esthari presidential cabinet, the minister of technology at that, as well as the husband to the current head assistant of Doctor Odine? Such a good son of a good father and mother, doing as much good work outside of the city as his parents did within! It was a blessing that the clumsy president was so lovable in the eyes of his people, or maybe, just maybe, Nida would have been furious with him.

There had been enough difficulty in the way he'd played his role these last five years. More than his fair share of trouble came from the fact that he was walking in a city that he'd been raised in among people who thought that if he did have any Centra look to him, it was definitely because he was from Dollet, the western remain of the people, rather than a son of the eastern city of Esthar. While he could not claim to be as easily recognized in the city as the president or members of his cabinet, he was still the only son of two important members of the society of this city-state, as well as having been a well known student of the Esthari Military Academy before his departure from the only home he'd ever known to join Garden. So there had been enough risk as being part of the group of SeeDs wandering the city to 'get to know the lay of the land' that he would have run into those who would recognize him somehow. The chances of him being recognized at the welcome ceremony had been high as well, for many of those who represented Esthar were people who knew his parents, knew him, and while they were all bound by the Presidential gag order on his role, while they would have their suspicions, there was always the chance something would slip. How could anyone have expected it from Loire himself, and in front of the entire group of visiting SeeDs?

Honestly, Nida was pretty sure that by the very fact that he'd fled once the President started talking to his father like that, and how he had most likely disappeared beyond the ability for any other SeeD to have found him, he had invariably proven the words of his President as truth. No damage control could be done now, and the look that had passed through the eyes of Squall in that moment before Nida had disappeared from the gathering...

Maybe it was all for the best.

Again he felt the gentle brush of Siren against his senses, this time with the light whisper of her voice telling him that another approached. Most likely a child from the city coming to play in the park with friends, and caught off guard by his appearance. He would have done the same when he was younger, before he'd been into the world beyond Esthar. There were few who would wear things other than the common robes outside of special occasions (the President excluded of course, though the other two Galbadians who worked with him, ministers of his cabinet, did keep to them), and thus the strange clothing would always draw attention. SeeD uniforms were eye catching on their own of course, so it was likely the person would gawk for a while. Nida let them do just that, he didn't care much anymore.

"Let us hope your uniform dries before the dinner tonight."

Were he standing, Nida would have fallen flat on his ass from the unexpected words, and more than that, unexpected voice. As it was his hands came unlaced from behind his head, twitched as they reached to his sides to push him up, but strength failed him in his shock and he only fell back to the ground halfway into the instinctual move to the ready position before a superior. Siren's tinkling laughter filled his head for a time, and Nida couldn't be sure if the grimace he wore was from her amusement, or the sudden pain that had come from his head hitting a rock that he could have sworn wasn't there before in the grass when he fell back. The look quickly changed to shock as he heard a chuckle from the person who had shocked him in the first place. Or what could pass from a chuckle but was probably closer to a single exhaled breath and a twitch of lips.

With more care this time, though still rushed, Nida got to his feet. It took a lot of control not to fall into that desired ready stance, but he managed to triumph over training. He wasn't sure why, but there was just this feeling in him that went with the earlier revelation. What was the point in acting subservient to the Balamb Garden SeeD Commander, one of the people he'd been watching for years and someone who had just found out that he was as much a member of the Esthari military as he was a mercenary, if not more. This man, the Commander, no, Squall, would probably be questioning every conversation they had ever had by this point. Reviewing every interaction to find some sign of Nida's betrayal of the confidence he had offered. For Nida it was a painful thing, knowing that soon everyone he had known for these last five years would be questioning everything they knew about him, everything they had said to him, everything he had been to them.

"I will not be attending, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?"

A single raised eyebrow, something Nida had learned as a questioning tone without any question to go along. Something only Squall seemed to pull off.

"Who gave you permission to excuse yourself?"

Nida was almost taken aback by the whole thing. Was Squall just mocking him, trying to hold power over him, or maybe using what leverage he could to get information? He couldn't figure it out, much less come up with an answer.

"I'd ask how long, but it seems a rather pointless question."

Something Nida could do little more than agree to. It was obvious that the whole time that he had been at Balamb Garden he had been there under cover. Thirteen might be a rather young age to plant a sleeper agent, so to speak, but not unheard of. And it wasn't as if his role was one too heavily steeped in deception. The only real lies he dealt with was where he was from and all that went with it. And of course the idea that he hadn't ever had any experience in battle or magic. Truth of the matter was that he had been the top of his class in armed and unarmed combat for three years, and magic ever since it had been introduced to his class two years before his departure for Balamb. The interesting thing had been toning down all of that, acting worse than he was to better go unnoticed in Garden life.

"Why?" Squall asked instead.

"Orders," Nida easily countered. Surely Squall could understand the idea of following orders given to him.

"No. Not that. Why did you come today?"

Ah, a very good question. Nida wasn't even sure himself. Every moment he stayed in the city had exponentially raised his chances of being discovered. Surely he'd prepared himself years before in the idea that he might never see his homeland again, or his family, or those who had been his friends. It had been his duty though, he'd agreed to the conditions set down by the President and his two main advisors, against the counseling of both of his parents. He was supposed to watch the development of the Gardens, study to see if they were ready for the task they would have to undertake. To work beside Headmaster Cid and learn what he could while reporting whatever he could back to Esthar, so that the city, the President, would be ready for whatever actions were needed to finally deal with the problems that came with a Sorceress. A child raised in the ranks of those who would fight, who better to keep tabs on what happened? Of course all of it had meant lying to people he came to find as important as old friends.

So why had he come today, despite the risks? When there were so many chances for him to be found out, for people to suspect him as a spy rather than an agent used by both sides to help in the handling of a situation no single person could handle, no single country could handle, why take any extra risk?

"You could have said no. I would have picked..."

"You asked me to." The words had tumbled from his lips before he could stop them, and only after they came did Nida realize that it was the truth. He had only come, put so much on the line, because the Commander, no, Squall... no, his friend, had asked him. Not for his parents, not for his friends, not for the city his had missed so much. For his friend.

To this Squall seemed to have no response. Not verbal at least. His weight shifted from one foot to the other as he went through some internal monologue or another.

"What am I supposed to do with you now?" Squall asked after a few moments, and something about the question ruled out the chances that it was rhetorical.

A million answers came at once. Technically he was guilty of betrayal and could be expelled from SeeD, Garden, and possibly Balamb. There was also the personal betrayal many would see in him, which would make many problems in Garden life if he wasn't punished. Squall could easily demand many answers about his reasons, his orders, what he told his superiors in Esthar, and the Esthari government could do nothing about it. He was, after all, told long ago that if he was caught he would be denied as someone they sent. Even if Loire had messed up, Esthar would stick by the same stance. So many possibilities. Torture. Exile. Hatred. Scorn. Dismissal of many sorts. Stationing in some remote place where he could be no harm.

"I don't know."

"I see."

With that Squall turned and began to walk away. Nida was at a loss for what to do.

"Squall..." he said after a moment, reaching out nervously, but pulling back quickly. While the other SeeD stopped moving, he did not turn to look at Nida while he addressed him.

"You will continue to act as is expected of you for the remainder of this trip, but consider yourself on suspension for the time being. I'll figure out what to do with you when we return to Garden. Understood?"

Nida nodded, and after realizing Squall could not see it, he spoke up, answer changing in the time it took for the yes to get from his mind to his lips. "And if I refuse?"

For a moment Squall seemed to ponder that idea.

"You know better than that. Or, I think you do. I'm not sure any more."

Then, assuming Nida would follow the orders given, Squall just walked off. Moved quickly, purposefully over the too short grass, through the perfectly pruned tress, and past the far too neat flowerbeds to a car more than likely waiting to take him back to the ceremony. For a while Nida could do little more than stand where he was, staring at the spot where Squall had disappeared into the vehicle. Once he got over the sudden numbness, he headed for the road and the opted to walk back to the hotel where the SeeDs were staying rather than take a lift. He needed time to think before he got back. Think about how to handle the problem Loire and Leonhart had created, how to deal with the looks of pain and disbelief. Through the numbness he nursed the regret of coming here, for a friend, with the little hope of seeing his parents with pride in their eyes.

Soon he'd be suffering for the sins they would place upon him. Already Nida decided that he would not deny a single one. He would put no pressure on the place that was his home, or the place that had come to be his home. For the rest of this weekend he would smile, act proper, shake the hands of people he already knew and pretend they were meeting for the first time. Carefully he would walk the already fragile ice, pray he could make it to the other side before it shattered and dumped him into the frigid depths. There were, after all, no easy answers, no way out of the position he'd been put in, or put other into. No where to turn for this, nothing to gain from looking back for a way to have avoided this. Only the hope for it all to be over quickly, releasing him from the suffering that was likely to happen because of this.

That didn't stop him from wishing though, that none of this had happened. Wishing that he could have been the boy that grew up in his city and had pride in it, becoming a leader in his own regards. Maybe being born that boy in Dollet and raised at Garden with no question of loyalty. Or maybe just a completely different man.

The whole way back to the hotel was quiet. As quiet as it could be in the softly glowing city, with the peaceful and familiar hum of the lifts and vehicles around him. The ever present and sweet sound of the city he still loved, despite all the time away and all the love he had for Balamb and the sky. Siren echoed its simple loveliness with her own little melodies. For a while he let go of the pain, let the sound ease him of his strain. For now at least he could put aside the problems and take comfort, comfort in the sound.


	18. Home

Author's Notes: Why is the idea of Nida chopping wood shirtless just a happy thing to me? But seriously, I decided to continue the idea created in another recent story, Esthar (Theme: Parents if anyone cares). It's... Well, you'll see. This was going to be a fun little thing with the third person focus on Seifer, but someone blew the fuse and my computer died without my saving of ANY of the fic, and I was deep in. So it's different than the intended form and who knows where that leaves me.

Theme: Home

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Home Sweet Home

Chopping wood had to be, above all other things, the most mentally relaxing and physically strenuous thing he'd ever done in his life. Over the last three years that had become highly obvious to him. Some might call it mindless busy work, some might call it a chore, but Nida knew otherwise. There was freedom to be found in honest hard work, in the lack of thoughts you had besides making sure you struck with the grain, in the pleasant burn that handling the splitting axe for hours on end caused across his shoulders and through the whole of his arms. Once he'd thought that his bo kata was the ultimate way to put his mind at ease, to ensure the sharpest mind and body, but during that first summer here, chopping wood in hopes that it would be seasoned enough for burning come the winter, he'd learned otherwise. Daily practice with his weapon gave way to the menial tasks that were needed to survive on a day to day basis. Not that he'd forsaken his weapon of course, practice still centered his mind, but to it had been added daily chopping, and even amusement in the form of seeing if he could throw the splitting axe with any accuracy. It had been an amusing summer to say the least, and this one would be no different.

Again the axe was lifted after a log was placed on a stump, raised for the strike, and hit home deep in the wood, the minor twist of the axe going a long way to ease of labor. The tool, wood clinging to the head from the split, was raised again, not nearly so far, and a second blow delivered to the log, finishing the previous strike's work. The wood fell to either side of the stump, and deeming the pile cut to be good enough to move, Nida sunk the axe into the wood. Quickly he began to stack the wood in his arms for transport to his pile, taking note silently of the sound of a snapping twig from in the forest around his small cabin. He knew well enough that there was no game to be had in the area immediately around his cabin, not in the hottest part of the day where they'd all be in hiding. When they were close it was always either early or late, or so hot that the animals were willing to risk his notice so that they could access the stream behind his cabin. Nida smirked at the sound, knowing it for what it was, a traveler. No need to scare them off, and other than the throwing axe he'd left inside, the only thing he would have to protect himself if the person was violent was his staff left out back by the wood pile. That and the splitting axe. Really, he didn't feel like having to fight with that just yet. So, arms filled with the burden of wood, Nida moved for his wood pile to continue work as if he had not heard anything. Better that visitors come at their own pace.

Once at the back the wood was left on the ground so he could throw back the tarp. Carefully wood was stacked to best allow air around it for it to season best, but also close enough that the tarp would still cover the pile to keep the wood dry. The last thing he would need come the winter was for his wood to be too wet to burn well enough to heat the small cabin, or even for it to happen at this point in the year when he'd still need a cooking fire in his hearth. When the wood was stacked he picked up the staff resting by the pile and threw the tarp back in place. Back out front the staff was placed by the stump and another log set to be split. All of this was done with his back towards where he'd heard the sound, offering the visitor a chance to watch him without being seen. A minor risk if the person was violent, but with the staff as close as it was, and the axe in his hands, he was sure he could handle what would come, even without a Guardian to warn him as he had of old.

Halfway through the remainder of the wood the sound of rustling came to his ears, and another twig. Seconds later this was followed by the person swearing lightly under their breath, knowing that they had invariably been given away. It was all he could do not to laugh. He'd not heard language quite that colorful since the injured hunter he'd had last fall, hurt when he had suddenly found the game trail he'd been on ended abruptly with a ridge. Nida had heard him before he found him, out checking his own traps for rabbits and other small game. The man had been thankful and stopped by later in the fall to share a good take of deer, but the swearing would have done a sailor proud when Nida had set his broken leg. And this man was doing that memory justice. Again Nida sank the axe into the stump, this time stretching and wiping sweat from his brow, before calling over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, heard you ten minutes ago with that other twig. A little bush rustling isn't going to get me after you if that didn't."

When there was no response, Nida merely laughed. He'd dealt with reluctant travelers and wanderers before, but this one was more than cautious. Normally when he called out to them, they came, though timidly. This one didn't even move in the bushes. Nida knew he was being watched, the person waiting and taking all the steps you would when dealing with hunting. Not that Nida appreciated the unspoken comparison of himself to game, but the unease was amusing. There was a time when he would have acted the same, had acted the same, back when he'd first found this place. Even abandoned he'd taken great care on the first approach.

"Fine, have it your way. I could use a break anyhow, so I think I'm going to take a good lunch. You can either join me, or head your way towards the creek behind the house to get water if you need. Well, maybe you should go back there and wash up a bit first if you're going to join me, I don't much like dirty hands all over my cabin."

With that Nida left the wood behind, making sure to lift his staff, and moved for the open door of the cabin. The person would come, they always did.

"Nomura, wait."

The name did far more to halt Nida than the order. Yet the stop was just for a moment, and the second after it registered he was turning, staff coming up into his hands in a defensive position, all of the relaxation from the chopping instantly gone. Even after all these years it took so little for him to fall back into that mercenary mindset, the kill or be killed mentality that had kept him alive, that had caused his retreat from most of society. His hands gripped the weapon, not tight or loose, but ready either way. Quickly his mind flashed through many different ways to handle a fight, depending on the weapon of his attacker. He even thought of quick and painless killing methods, from blows to the head, to strikes that could take off half a person's face, to thrusts with such strength that even the basic staff might go through a person, but would at least break ribs. Every second of it Nida loathed, but instincts pounded into him did not fade, even with time.

"Come out now, or I will come in after you, and I know this area better than any assassin could."

There was more rustling in the bushes, breaking of sticks and twigs as the person approached the cabin. As they broke from the cover, moving slowly with their hands up in a gesture to show they meant no harm, Nida was shocked to find how close the person had gotten to the cabin between the first sound of motion in the forest until when the bushes had rustled. This man had been far closer than Nida had expected, but it was suddenly understandable. Here was another one trained as a mercenary, who knew how to deal with the wild. The first twig had been an accident, the second and the bush, those had been purposeful. He had underestimated just what kind of people would stumble upon him.

"Almasy?" he questioned, completely shocked.

Of course, he didn't have to ask, he knew. The blond hair, despite the additional length, and the even lighter shade that came from sun bleaching, the tanned skin over a muscled body, the fading scar over his brow, and even those sharp green eyes. This was Seifer Almasy, former sorceress knight. While the old and familiar clothes were lacking, replaced by something you'd see in any town and possibly a way to avoid notice from those he didn't want noticed by, there was still the familiar dark form of Hyperion hanging at the man's side.

Even seeing Seifer didn't cause Nida to drop his guard. He was quite aware of how good of a brawler the man was, how quick he could draw Hyperion, the affinity he had with fire spells and casting them even without a Guardian. Of course, he was pretty sure Seifer had some knowledge of his own fighting, that he'd been the top polearms fighter in Garden in their day, that even breaking the thing in half would not stop Nida as he'd also been trained in styles that involved two sticks, multiple styles actually, depending on the length of the sticks. If a battle was to take place, they'd both be left with injuries at the very least.

"Yeah, thought it was you, couldn't be sure though. No reason for a SeeD to be in a place like this," Seifer said after a while, having stopped on the edge of the clearing the cabin stood in. Strategic placing of course, it would allow him easy retreat into the cover of trees, which would not only limit his use of Hyperion, but Nida's staff as well, making a good way to flee.

"No reason for an ex-sorceress knight to be here either," Nida pointed out, weapon still raised. He didn't much feel like correcting Seifer's assumption that he was still a SeeD.

"Just passing through. Saw a traveler's sign at the main trail, pointing down the game path and saying there was hospitable folk this way. Thought I'd check it out."

Nida knew well of the marking by the main path. It had been first set there during his first summer, when a cross country backpacker had encountered him by chance coming back from hunting (the only reason he kept a gun at all was to take down some of the deer and other game animals in the area). After a meal of fresh cut venison he'd given the hiker some jerky and had him refill his water bottles before sending him on his way. The next time he'd been up by the main path he'd seen the mark and left it there. Occasionally he had the company of travelers and the wandering homeless to keep him company because of that mark, and he'd never turned a man away. Doing so for Seifer might find the mark erased, and all passing company taken away. Pulling away from society didn't mean avoiding the world.

After a moment more, Nida finally moved from the defensive stance and moved the weapon to his side. A bit longer he thought before nodding and turning back to the cabin.

"Come on then, you're bound to be hungry and tired if you're in this part of the woods. I'm still going to take my lunch. But you, you've got to earn your keep. Finish chopping that wood for me, then wash up in the creek out back. I'll handle stacking the wood while I cook."

Nida could almost sense the moment that Seifer hesitated before following orders, but that didn't concern him. On edge he moved through the cabin and began building the fire that would be used to make a simple meal for him and the guest. It was understandable of course, he hadn't run into anyone that had been part of his life in almost three years. None of his family in Esthar knew where he was (though he didn't doubt they could find him), and after his dismissal from SeeD... Soon the silence of cooking was countered by the sound of wood being chopped, but Nida focused instead on his task, and what exactly he could expect of Almasy after all this time. Was he really here by chance after all?

It felt too soon when Seifer entered the cabin, face wet from the cool water of the stream, but otherwise not looking too bad for the little work Nida had put him to. The former SeeD took down two bowls in silence and portioned out the stew he had made, though it was little more than vegetables and herbs with the littlest bit of rabbit he'd had left from the night before, most of his summer food going for smoking and salting for the winter months. Seifer didn't say anything has he took down cups that Nida gestured at, or as he sat and watched Nida take out a few dry biscuits to go with the meal. Once water was poured for drinking the pair ate in silence.

"You never said what you're doing out here," Seifer said after washing down a bite of the dry biscuit. Seems that the meal wasn't going to be as quite as Nida hoped for.

"Neither did you, and you're still eating my food."

"Worked for it. Only fair."

To that Nida had to agree.

"So, spill it. What's a fly-boy like you doing in a place like this? Why's a SeeD scattered so far from it's Garden?"

"Maybe this little kernel didn't care much for where he was being forced to put roots down."

Seifer actually scoffed at the comment. "What, Squally-boy and the Chicken scare you away from the roost? Why do I doubt that?"

Nida calmly dipped his biscuit into the broth of the stew, hoping to soften it up a bit. With it he threw Seifer a very vague answer, and not to the question that was asked either.

"Did you know I was born in Esthar?"

Either Seifer was sharper than Nida had ever given him credit for, or... No, it was definitely that he was sharper than Nida gave him credit for.

"Ah. I see. Same reason I can't go back then."

Nida merely nodded, focusing on the meal. Of course he wasn't about to get any peace.

"They really don't take very well to traitors. But feel glad that you never had a price on your head. Not that I heard of at least."

"I suppose." There was another patch of silence before, "They dropped it, if you didn't know. There is no price on the Sorceress Knight. Not long after you disappeared actually."

"Not long after you disappeared as well," Seifer responded, and it wasn't a question. "Ice Princess is smart enough to know that he can't exactly demand the head of an obvious traitor if he's had a spy in his midst all that time and let them go with nothing but a slap on the wrist. Guess I should thank you for getting caught, but even a lack of price doesn't make my life any easier."

Nida could easily agree there. He'd never had a price, but he was forbidden from Balamb Garden, the others as well. Going back to Esthar had seemed foolish considering the new treaties between the nations and increased presence of SeeDs in the city working on the design of another Garden by Esthari technology, as well as the refurbishing of Trabia. And since no SeeD treated him with kindness after the revelation...

"Who outed you, or could you just not stand it anymore?"

"President Loire."

This got Seifer laughing.

"Seriously? That bumbling old guy knew your work and blabbed it? Nothing like Leonhart I see, despite all the media's pressing that they are the same."

"No, Loire is not very much like Squall at all. If I was a spy for Balamb it never would have gotten out in the open, even if my superior was dealing with my family."

"That's fucking crazy."

"Agreed."

The conversation was a slow thing, a bit more focused now that they had finished eating. But Nida wasn't the person he'd been the last time he'd seen Seifer, and he doubted Seifer was the same either. The gunblader had obvious grown over the years, matured in a way that military life had not been able to beat into him. Already Nida suspected that if it came to a fight, Seifer would more than just win. It wouldn't come to that though, Seifer had no reason to, no purpose for fighting, not even for the sake of the pleasure of it. Almost as if his spirit had been broken.

"So, how'd it happen?"

That right there was proof enough that Seifer was different. The old Almasy wouldn't have cared. Thing was, the old Nida wouldn't have told him. Back then Nida had respected the ability of Almasy, but nothing else. Now he respected what he saw in those eyes, that tired body. After all this time Seifer finally understood the responsibilities and burdens of a warrior, of a mercenary. Too bad it had come far too late.

So Nida told him. Not just about the welcoming ceremony for the heroes of the war where Laguna's blundering had taken his life and friends, but of the five years in Garden as an Esthari agent. Of the five years before that in the Military Academy in Esthar. Of his family and the problems that came with being of his birth, his home town, in a world so different from what he would come to know. He even told Seifer about the quiet trial that the Gardens had given him once they had returned to Balamb, and of his dismissal. He even spoke of the years he had spent here in the cabin, living a life that had come to suit him, even if it took him away from everyone and everything he knew, even the simple comfort and danger of a Guardian Force, or dealing with the less than natural monsters that had always felt like a rush. In turn Seifer told him of his own time since the war, and even hinted a bit about what had taken place during it. For the first time Nida got to hear more about the whole 'orphanage bunch' Selphie had loved to hint at. And by the time they had finished with their stories they had both prepared and finished dinner, stacked the wood Seifer had cut, and cleaned up.

In the end the two ended up sitting on what passed for the porch, drinking what little coffee Nida had left, and comparing notes on the hunting of both big and small game in the forests of this area. But even that soon died away, and Seifer set aside his coffee cup with a sigh. Nida looked over and took note of an almost pained look on the blond's face.

"Are you okay? Stomach problems maybe? Some people just don't handle rabbit well you know..."

"Hey Nomura?"

"Yeah, Almasy?"

"Shut up, okay? Unless I tell you otherwise. Just answer my next questions."

Nida watched him with confusion, but did little more than that. If Seifer had something serious to ask, well, he should at least listen to him.

"Do you miss it?"

When Nida didn't respond to the vague question, Seifer sighed and added to it. "Esthar, and your life there. Your family. Do you miss it?"

"At times," he admitted after a long pause to think. "How could I not? I grew up there, it was my life. But I don't think I can go back there, not after what happened."

"What about Garden?"

This one took an even longer time to think about, such that Seifer was about to repeat it when Nida spoke up. "I don't miss Garden itself. Or the life that went with it. Not most of the time really. But the people, yes. A lot. I miss Squall's different silences, Selphie overly energetic, Quistis acting so old. I miss Xu lecturing me and even Zell rushing past me in line to get the last hot dog to find out there were no more. Hell, until today I even missed your arrogance, if you'd forgive that."

Seifer nodded. "Would you go back, if you could? Everything forgotten and all that?"

Nida couldn't help but chuckle. As if that would ever happen. "Of course, but I can't, it won't be forgiven and forgotten. I was a spy Seifer. I don't belong in Garden any more than a girl like Rinoa would."

There Seifer laughed too. "Yeah, the princess wouldn't cut it as a merc. But you, you seemed to fit it, in your own way. And from what I've heard you say, you enjoyed it in ways."

"You could put it like that."

"But you'd go back?"

"Hell, I'd go back for even five minutes with them again. Or with that beauty, the Ragnarok II. Man, never seen anything quite like that from Esthar, but my father had told me about it... Always wanted to fly that baby, or go to the space station, it was my dream... Of course I put it aside for Garden."

"We all put aside a lot for Garden," Seifer said, standing and brushing off his pants.

"Ready for sleep then? I've got a spare cot I bought in town a year or so back. I could set it up by the fireplace..."

"I'm leaving Nida."

"Ridiculous. This late at night you'd be about as much use to yourself finding a path as a mole looking for a pear tree."

"I've got somewhere to be soon. Out of the forest. Being picked up. You should come with me."

"Where could you be going that would even begin to tempt me away from all of this?"

Seifer just smirked, that old smirk that Nida used to see right before the man and his DC would rush off after some student to harass them.

"B Garden."

Nida laughed, amused by the joke. Or, he did until he saw the serious look on Seifer's face, and the device pulled from his pocket. It was emblazoned with the symbol of a SeeD, and accented with the blue of Balamb. A communication device that held a miniature tracking device as well as a homing beacon. Instantly Nida was on his feet, and once more on edge.

"You're a SeeD then? Here to take me in I guess. But what do you want this time? Squall finally want to finish off the spy?"

Seifer shook his head and threw the device at Nida's head, which was caught more out of self-defense than any urge to hold it.

"Fucking idiot. It's yours. Look at the damn thing."

He did, and noted so easily where an old cut marred the blue of the design from where he'd been cut during a mission and only the device had saved his life. The thing should have been destroyed years ago.

"What..."

"Leonhart sent me. Said none of his other search parties seemed to be able to find you, not in Esthar, not in Balamb, not anywhere. Sent me instead, something about a rat being able to find a rat better than any other. Well, that was actually Chicken, but same thing really."

"I... This can't be. What the hell is going on here?"

"Damned if I know, but the fucking Commander gave me an order, and I'm following it through. All I had to do was give you that, ask you to come back."

"You could have..."

"You didn't trust me when I first showed up. Why the hell would I think you'd listen then? Better to at least hear you out, see if you'd even be interested. I do my jobs right Nomura, like it or not. Just think about it. You know how to get in contact when you've decided to come back."

"Not that he can't just come and get me either way."

Seifer smirked, a mischievous thing that Nida had never seen before. "How the hell are they going to know where you are if you don't call them?"

"The trackers..."

"That thing isn't on Nomura."

"Yours..."

"Has been off since I left Garden looking three months ago. I turn it on now and then to send in reports. Didn't want to come upon you and give you away if you had no intention of going back. Whether Squall likes it or not, it's what he's got to deal with. So if you come or not, it's all up to you."

With that Seifer turned and started to walk away. "I'm going to go a few villages away before I get my pick up. Make sure they can't find you if you don't want it."

He was almost back in the underbrush before Nida even thought to speak up. He was completely gone from sight before Nida had something to say. And there was no chance of finding him by the time he'd really thought it through.

A week later found an old cabin in the woods, fully stocked for winter, wood chopped and ready in the back with a bit pre-readied for a fire in the fireplace inside.

It also found the travel sign at the main path erased. And a note on the door of the cabin, welcoming any weary traveler to the place if in need, but asking them to leave it in equal state to how they found it when they were done, if not better.

Just as he had done, Nida thought, as he stopped in the middle of a plains area, low on supplies, and finally turning on his communication device. It had been a resting place for him. Now it would be so for any others who needed it. He had other places to be after all.

It was time to go home.


	19. Weeks

Author's Notes: I didn't intend the first to end so negatively. I had no intention of making a second. I never even intended to gave thought to a third. And yet here it is. Continuing a minor arc about Nida that was never intended. For the first two look to Esthar and Home Sweet Home (themes parent and home respectively). I'm sad that this one won't turn out too much better I think. Well, for Nida that is.

P.S. - I think Nida's getting tired of people sneaking up on him.

Theme: Weeks

* * *

Sweet Cookies at Midnight

There was one good thing about breaking into the kitchens after midnight, and it wasn't the fact that he could get ice packs without question. It was the late night cooking. The mixing of ingredients that one didn't eat alone and making a delicious meal, or a warm loaf of bread, or a sweet treat. The whole process was rewarding, and he always got to eat his creations in the end. Best of all was that the cafeteria ladies didn't mind. It had been one of them that had found him bruised and bloody his first day back at Garden and had tended to his injuries, despite protests, when he refused to go to the infirmary and Doc K. As he held a steak to what was rapidly becoming a rather impressive black eye, she had worked on making him a full serving of garlic bread and marinara sauce (how she had remembered his favorite meal was beyond him). All the while she gossiped about what had been happening in Garden for the past years he'd been gone. From what Nida could tell, she was the only one in Garden that had spoke kindly to him. When the rest of the cafeteria workers had agreed to let him have free reign late at night should he need it, he had smiled and thanked them by making a batch of Esthari sweet cookie dough and leaving instructions for how to bake them in the morning for a treat, knowing they were far better fresh out of the oven.

All of that was almost three weeks ago now, and since then the cafeteria had become his late night hideaway. Not that he wanted to be there of course, there were places he'd far rather be, but it was safest. He couldn't go to the training grounds to brush up on his skills, because more than once he'd had to deal with disgruntled students using him as a practice dummy. The library was out because it was closed this late, and there were students who took it upon themselves to make sure he didn't leave the Garden at night. Even his dorm was a bad choice, as the third night back he'd found that one of the more tech-savvy students had hacked his dorm door and left a rotting fish under his bed.

He had to admit one thing though. Kids these days were damn good at making people feel unwelcome.

It was understandable though, or so Nida told himself as he worked on preparing another batch of Esthari sweet cookie dough. The things were becoming outrageously popular at every meal, and since none of the cafeteria ladies knew how to prepare the things and would rather he do it anyway, every night he prepared more dough for the next day. Never were they marked as what they were of course, though word said that the exchange students from Esthar were quite happy to see something familiar being offered alongside the ever present hot dogs. Tonight Nida even had a cookie press out and was using it to make the cookies into the shape of blooming flowers, though the normal decorative shape back home was actually the emblem of Esthar. That probably wouldn't go over well just yet.

"I guess this explains the cookie mystery of Balamb Garden," a voice came from near the doors that connected cafeteria and kitchen.

"If it does, then I guess there will be no more cookies being eaten. Shame really, with all this hard work," Nida responded, keeping his back to the intruder into his nighttime sanctuary.

"Shame indeed. Guess I better not tell anyone," the man agreed as he started towards where Nida was working. "But, I suppose I should ask a price for something like this kind of secret."

"What do you want then? I can show you how to make them next time..."

The person finally stopped at Nida's side and leaned against the counter to watch him press another cookie out onto the tray. One, two, three flowers formed on the sheet before the man's hand came to rest on Nida's and stop him. The other rose to Nida's chin and forced the pilot to look him in the eyes. Even then Nida wouldn't meet his glance though, looking away from those sharp violet eyes. Didn't matter that he did though, the sharpshooter couldn't miss the black eye, or the busted lip that Nida would deal with in the morning by way of a potion, long before any need for him to have contact with the rest of the Garden population ever came up.

"Thought so," Irvine said with a sigh, the words victorious but the voice pained. "Figured something like this was going on when Seifer complained about the new Esthari training dummy the students had."

"It wasn't his place to say anything," Nida said, finally pulling away from Irving to continue working with the cookie dough.

"Don't worry, apparently he's occasionally capable of being subtle. Everyone else just thought it was really about the new shipment of training robots from Esthar, not too advanced but nothing you can take a gunblade to. I don't think that even Squall picked up on it."

"And you did?" It was something Nida highly doubted, and he didn't like Seifer betraying his confidence. The blond had stumbled upon him after an encounter with some younger SeeDs three days after his arrival, and there had been an argument that degraded into a fight. Despite the fact that Seifer had figured out what was going on, Nida was proud that he'd managed to knock the gunblader on his ass.

"Seifer doesn't give a fuck about the new toys that the 'kiddos' get, he'll play with them anyway. Which left it down to either being a flat out lie, which he isn't big on, or something that was true and unexpected. And the only thing new around here that would work up the students enough to work him up... that's you."

"I highly doubt that."

"And yet, it's what he meant, wasn't it?"

To this Nida didn't respond, merely finished filling the cookie tray before putting it in the fridge and packing up the dough. When the workers saw what he'd done they would take out the cookie press he was now cleaning and follow his example. Tomorrow there would be fresh cookies that looked as good as they tasted. It was one of those things he didn't do just for himself though, he did it for Garden. For those students who would come tomorrow night and...

"Why do you let them do it?"

Nida looked up from the sink where he was cleaning the cookie press. Those who had found out hadn't asked him that. The cafeteria ladies probably thought he couldn't stop it. Seifer understood the situation, even though he didn't like it, but he'd understood just as Irvine did that Nida could stop them easily. Irvine knew just how much damage a SeeD could do, and he was one of the few that remembered that Nida had managed to achieve Rank A before leaving Garden. One of only eight in Garden history, and four of those had been heroes of the war. Two of the remaining three other than Nida were Seifer and Irvine, who had worked hard these last three years for such a rank. The final one was the former weapons instructor at Garden, who had given up actual mission work just before the war. To put it simply, Nida could easily take the head off the shoulders of anyone who attacked him, and in a situation where it was a group against him, he would likely have them all dead before a single blow landed on himself. Especially when one considered the training that was implied he had as a student at the Military Academy in Esthar. Hyne on high, Nida himself knew that he could kill Irvine with this cookie press without having to worry about too much damage to himself.

"What makes you think I let them?"

He didn't even have to look at the gunner to know the man had rolled his eyes.

"What makes you think that I have a reason, or right, to stop them?" he asked instead, taking out a towel to dry the cookie press.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"They know what I am just as much as you do. A spy, a traitor, the man who broke the confidence of his superior officers, told Esthar everything they would ever need to know to defeat a Garden full of SeeDs instead of just a small group of elite fighters..."

"You're not any of those things though, are you?"

"I was Irvine, and that is what matters. I betrayed everyone in Garden..."

"On orders from your government, and under the cautious eye of Headmaster Cid," Irvine countered. "You did nothing wrong."

"That isn't how they see it. None of them can understand why I'm even allowed back in this or any Garden, much less why I've been reinstated." And honestly, Nida couldn't figure that one out himself. His dismissal had been from not just Balamb, but all active Gardens. Since Esthar would not admit to his orders, he was up a creek there too. There was absolutely no reason for him to be back in Garden, much less be restored to his old rank and given classes to teach and missions to run. No one here accepted him, except Seifer probably. Seifer understood what it was to be a traitor and called back to Garden. Maybe Squall as well. He'd been the only one that tried to get the Allied Garden Counsel to give him leniency. A foolish move for the young SeeD Commander, one that had put Trabia and Galbadia at odds with him for a while.

"They're still young, they can't understand the bigger picture."

"What bigger picture?" Nida hissed through clenched teeth. If he didn't get it there was no way a bunch of green cadets would. "What bigger picture, Irvine? Am I being set up to fail here? Why would a Garden take an enemy they already cast out and put them into a position of power? Why shouldn't these kids do what they want? I deserve every blow they give me for what I did to this place, even if it didn't seem to hurt in the long run!"

"Then why did you come back when Seifer found you?"

He'd been asking himself the same thing since his first night back. Why follow Seifer away from a life he'd grown used to, if not love, for a place that would see him destroyed? Nida was yet to figure that one thing out.

"Maybe I realized that running away was pointless."

Irvine shook his head and moved away from the counter. "Well, either way, I'm just here to deliver a message. Two actually."

There was no response from Nida has he tried to distract himself with other work. He didn't want to hear it, any of it. Already he regretted leaving his cozy little cabin in favor of returning to Garden. What was there for him here anyway? Old students hated him. New students didn't understand. Fellow SeeDs would grow quiet as he came near, and instructors looked upon him with a mixture of pity and dislike. Where once he'd been the top of the class, a man worthy of respect though far from popular, he was now the lowest of the low, even first years got more respect here than he could. The only ones who didn't look at him as if he wasn't worth their time were the ones who should feel most betrayed, Squall and his friends. And no matter how much he thought about it, Nida just couldn't figure it out.

"First: Squall wants to meet with you in the morning, after your first class is over. Says it's really important. Well, not really, but he had that look..."

Didn't they get what he'd done after all? Told everything he could find out about them to a foreign government that was once controlled by a sorceress and could be a potential enemy. Just because the leader of that country was Laguna, just because he was Squall's father, just because the intentions were all the best was no reason to forgive him. Yes, he was sorry, but that didn't mean he deserved any forgiveness from them. Everything about their lives he'd passed on, he'd lead them in ways they couldn't even begin to fathom, he'd KNOWN about the mechanism for moving Gardens before the attack by Galbadia. He could have, with just a simple bit of advice and by guiding them down, shown the Garden a way to protect themselves from missile fire with more than enough time to spare. He had been one of the few students in the enter Garden to know about the Garden Master NORG, and he'd said nothing. He'd known about the decoy train used by President Deling, about the need a sorceress had for a knight, he'd known it all. Been taught since he was a small boy. Everyone in Esthar knew this sort of stuff, and he'd let it all go unspoken where it was needed the most.

"...but I guess I should let him explain everything. Only Squall knows about the details after all, and it will be important..."

But maybe they didn't trust him so much. After all, he hadn't been allowed a GF, nothing of the familiar caress of Siren's mind. Made it easier for students to sneak up on him, she'd never allow him to be brought to harm. Then again, he hadn't told them about the risk of GF use, but Irvine had known that too, so it didn't matter so much there. Probably. He'd known about Edea too, so at least Irvine had covered the bases he hadn't been able to in some ways. Still, he could almost explain the Rinoa situation as well as Odine, his mother was Odine's main assistant after all, and Nida had grown up learning a lot of things his parents had known. They believed in telling their son everything they could. His parents were very honest people. That was half the reason he'd not gone home, they would have hated him for all the lives he'd lived perpetuating for five years. And apparently he even had a little sister now, one he never had and never would meet. Worst thing was he had learned it from Squall, not his family. One of the downsides of removing yourself from the world and all that.

"...he said he'd be waiting in the usual place. I don't get why he'd want to talk to you, but you two are a lot alike these days. The whole coming back to Garden thing and all that..."

Which all brought him back to the question of why had he come back. Sure, he'd told Seifer that he missed this place, missed the people, but was all these beatings worth it? A black eye every other night, that cracked rib, the bruises all over his chest. Upside, he was learning to fix cure into his mind better than ever. But he was tired of just standing by and letting these kids hurt him. Why didn't he just go back to his cabin, his quiet life? Squall and them didn't know where it was, no one but Seifer did, so he wouldn't have to worry about being followed. Hell, he could ask Seifer along if the man wanted, Hyne knew that he was only a few steps above Nida in desirability level. Then again, Seifer was making a new life here, one he was happy with. Or so it seemed.

"...you even listening to me at all?"

This last comment from Irvine was accompanied by fingers snapping in his face and the cowboy looking at him in concern. When had Irvine gotten to his side anyway? Last Nida had checked, he was almost on the whole other side of the kitchen while Nida was tidying up. The answer was obvious, he'd done a very Squall-like introspection that had shut the rest of the world away from him.

"I'm sorry," Nida said after a moment, recoiling from the snapping fingers before they did anything else, like try to pinch him.

"I'll say," Irvine said with a sigh, "You were almost like Squall there for a minute. Have you hear ANYTHING I said?"

Nida had to wrack his brain for that answer. "Uh, something about meeting with Squall, him knowing some details, meeting in a usual place... I don't have a usual place to meet him other than his office though."

"Hyne, you really didn't hear me at all. Fine, listen closely this time. Squall wants to see you in the morning, after your first class. It's important, and like hell I'm giving you the details again. Let him surprise you with it. I already told you once..."

"And?" Nida prompted. He wanted to get out of here and get as much sleep as possible before he had to get up at five. And right now he was treading the less than four hours line.

"Seifer. He's been looking for you all week, and you've been hiding well. He said something about meeting in the usual place. That's all I know about that."

That message was the one that shocked Nida. He stopped his cleaning and looked hard at Irvine.

"Seifer..."

"Yeah. Like I said, I don't get it, but you two have things in common now, so to quote an age old thinker, whatever. Now, get yourself cleaned up and get some sleep already. You look like hell."

Nida nodded in agreement and watched the cowboy slink away. Seifer was looking for him. That was something he wasn't quite sure he was looking forward to. But the blond wouldn't let it go, so the best thing was to get it over with as soon as possible. So Nida left the kitchen in the state it was and went to seek out that 'usual place'.

It was dark when Nida had punched in the code to Seifer's room and slipped inside, but he wasn't really shocked. One in the morning tended to be a dark and quiet time around Garden, and even Seifer had to sleep, especially considering his daily fights with Squall and the number of missions he was sent on. Still, Seifer looking for him for a week without success and having to use the cowboy meant that Seifer would want waken up. Because if he found out Nida had come in and hadn't... their next fight would be far more damaging to Nida than it would be to Seifer, especially since Seifer was allowed GFs (not that any but Diablos and Ifrit wanted much to do with him) and thus magic. Nida began to quietly sneak through the room, hoping to find some sign that Seifer was out with one of his conquests tonight rather than in his own room, only to have the lights suddenly turn on and blind him.

"Holy HYNE did you have to do that!?" Nida couldn't help but make a ruckus in the general direction of the light switch he expected Seifer to be at, the one by the door to the bedroom. All he got was chuckling from the switch on the other side of the room.

"Sorry fly-boy, just getting in myself. Didn't expect to find you sneaking around like a rat."

All the trouble got him was a still slightly blinded Nida glaring in his general direction.

"Seems the cowboy got to you. Good. Sit the fuck down and listen."

"Show some manners and I might," Nida countered, not that he had any right to do so. But things between him and Seifer were different, a bit less awkward than it was with the others, and so Nida expected something a bit different in private. At least, there should be less swearing between them.

"Shut the hell up and sit the fuck down. I don't have time to baby you and still get sleep."

Eventually Nida complied, but only after he could see again. At that point he flopped down, hard, onto the couch and glared up at Seifer, who was shedding sparring clothes as he crossed the room to the little kitchen area standard in all higher level SeeD rooms these days. And really only used by himself and Selphie. The others were horrible cooks, and Nida didn't have that little kitchen perk. A water bottle was grabbed, and another, frozen and fresh from the freezer, was tossed out to Nida on the couch. Apparently Seifer, even this late and night and obviously tired from a fight with Squall (who else could leave Seifer in such a state after a fight?) was more than sharp enough to see Nida was injured. Nida didn't even question the sudden hospitality, only pressed the blessed coolness of the frozen bottle against his still sore eye.

"You really shouldn't let those twerps do that to you."

"Irvine said the same thing."

"He's right for once. Or maybe the third time. Just once you should knock the bastards out to show Garden that you aren't a pushover like they think. Hell, if the Sorceress had someone like you in addition to me..."

"Don't even joke like that. The last thing she needed was a tactician who knew as much about Garden as I did. Things would be far different."

Seifer nodded in agreement as he moved to join Nida on the couch. It had been some of those tactical abilities that had allowed Squall to win over Seifer when there was the battle between the Gardens.

"But it would have been interesting."

"Just get to the damn point Seifer. I need sleep and a potion."

The older man sipped at his water before setting it aside and looking very seriously at Nida. "I'm coming with you, like it or not."

Nida froze. This made no sense. He'd only made his mind up to leave Garden tonight, and according to Irvine, Seifer'd been looking for him for far longer than that. There was no way that Seifer should or could know that he was leaving, for good this time, and even less reason for Seifer to come with him.

"I'm going to Esthar with you, like it or not."

Wait... Esthar?

"What are you talking about?" Nida demanded. Leaving for Esthar was not his intention, even if he missed it. He was going to head back for his cabin and hope no one had taken over just yet.

"Yeah, like hell you're going to get all the glory there, and it's not like I can go anywhere else easily."

"I'm not going to Esthar, Seifer. I have no intention of returning there, much less taking you with me."

Here the blond rolled his eyes. "So Squall has been having as hard of a time finding you as I have? Or has he been avoiding telling you just why he brought you back?"

All Nida could do was look baffled. After Seifer started swearing a thought came to mind and he suddenly cut in. "Irvine told me Squall wants to see me in the morning."

"Damn Ice Princess leaves everything so damn late. Has to think too much if you ask me."

Nida hadn't, but he was looking for some sort of answer here.

"If he's taken this long, I've got no problems beating him to the punch. You're going back to Esthar next week."

"Why the hell should I?"

"You heard about the Garden they are building there?" Seifer asked, leaning back on the couch and grabbing his water bottle that he could drink more.

"Of course, it's why I didn't go back in the first place."

"It's almost done, and the President asked Squall who he thought would make a good SeeD Commander, someone who would be able to work with an Esthari Headmaster to build up the curriculum beyond the basics, but would be able to work with and handle all of the problems that come with Esthari technology and culture and all that shit. To replace the Military Academy, allowing older students to be recruited straight into the military, and SeeDs to become ranked members, kinda like they have it over in Galbadia. But it couldn't be someone from there, because there is still tension between those two countries, and Loire wants to build up the bond between Balamb and Dollet before dealing with that. Galbadia's got enough on their plate already with Trabia and all..."

"Me?" Nida asked, the second it occurred to him.

Seifer glared for the interruption, but nodded. "You. Esthari by birth, raised all around their tech and culture. But a Balamb loyal SeeD, proven by how you returned here instead of going to Esthar. Someone both the Garden here, and the leaders in Esthar know, and is more than capable of handling himself. And I'm going with you. Can't ever climb the ranks in Galbadia considering what I did, and Trabia hates me, though they keep it quiet. And as much as I know B Garden, I've never really belonged here..."

"No," came Nida's response, standing and glaring down at Seifer. "I'm not going, and even if I was, you wouldn't be going with me."

All the blond did was smirk, "You tell yourself that, but are you really going to refuse both Squally-boy, your precious President Loire, and your family? Hell, the others already approved of Squall's suggestion, and he's taken it to the Allied Garden Counsel, and they agreed as well..."

"I shouldn't even be allowed back here by their decree three years ago, much less put in a position of power in another Garden."

Seifer's chuckle only served to anger Nida even more. "Fly-boy, they only banned you from 'currently active' Gardens. Squall made sure of that. He's got a sharp mind at times. And they all agree you're in a prime position to handle the job. Not like you'll be a Headmaster or anything..."

"I..."

Finally Seifer stood and stretched, "I'm sure Squall will tell you tomorrow, and he'll ask you if you would require anyone to join you there. You just tell him I'm going with you. That's all I had to say. Now get the fuck out of my room so I can go to sleep."

Nida followed the command silently, unable to understand what was going on, much less how Seifer could handle it all so calmly. He'd known for a week? Everyone had? And they hadn't told him?

No, he was going to reject this and go back to the cabin. There was no purpose in remaining here, in involving himself in a past he couldn't return to. No purpose at all.

Still, his mind offered, when he crawled into his bed almost half an hour later, knowing he'd get no sleep before his class in the morning, what was keeping him from going? A cabin in the woods, separated from everything he'd ever known? Staying here in a Garden that didn't accept him?

By the time he did get to sleep, only an hour before he had to be awake, Nida still hadn't figured out what he was going to do with all of this. Beyond agreeing to Squall's offer that is.

He told himself it was going to be temporary, a favor to an old friend, and to Seifer. Teach Seifer how to handle the role and leave the man there to take his place. That would be all he had to do.

For that hour he dreamed of a city, a world hidden from the rest, all of blue and silver and gold and white. A city where buildings glowed not only with the lights from windows, but it was almost as if the very crystalline material they were made of had its own light to shed. Never enough to blind, always enough to see by, never enough to block the beauty of a winter sky, but always warm and welcoming to a returning citizen, or a weary traveler. He would know, better than most. He was one of few who would ever be able to claim to be both.


	20. Teammates

Author's Notes: Why is this arc consuming me so? Is it that I long to give Nida a happy ending, but have found the one attempt at it lacking? Or is it that by this I begin to test out the limits of what Nida's potential is as a character? I take much liberties with a far from complete character or timeline, and wonder what is gained from it. But I make do with what I find, and know that no matter how far I go to control this story, it will not and cannot fall into the lines I tried to set with the first, Esthar (theme parents). While I tried to build up something peaceful and ultimately ending with the second, Home Sweet Home (theme home), it only felt incomplete though it was the one that gave me the most satisfaction. Then there was Sweet Cookies at Midnight (theme weeks), which while it gave to me more of Nida's character, resolved nothing at all. And so I've reached out again, trying to find and understand this little arc that has happened upon me, and hope for the best for Nida.

GAH, had to do so much research for this one. Note: Seifer's about 29 here, Nida 28.

Theme: Teammates

* * *

Esthar's Best

Three moves. In a split second he saw how easily he could end the fight with just three moves. Block to the left, bring the right stick in to strike at the legs, knowing the other man would take the blow, and while the person expected a follow up from the left that would free up his own weapon, quickly bring the left up to smash into his temple, knocking him out. All he needed was three moves to win the fight and leave his opponent out cold at his feet. The left rose to block, metal not even cutting into the hard gray wood, merely skidding off to the side. From the right he brought up an identical stick, lashing out at the man's leg, landing a sure blow on his thigh and taking comfort in the look of pain that flashed across his face. One more move and he'd have the victory.

It's the left that flashes out, knocking the blade away before moving in to smash into ribs, blocked easily by the sheer speed and skill of his opponent. Right lifts to compensate, but it's too late for the head shot, and a muscled arm takes the blow instead, not even enough or the right angle for a break. Three moves that filled his mind quickly fade away in the flow of the fight. Constant raining down of blows from both fighters, each one taken far from damaging enough to end the fight, each one avoided sure to end a life. Almost as if it's choreographed and either could divert from the plan, but both knew what the cost would be. Blow after blow, shoulder, shin, forearm, a cut along a cheek, each one with the same force as before, neither giving or taking ground in the struggle.

When it ends it's abrupt, but with neither a whimper or a shout. The sticks divert the blade from a tender neck, the blade curves back in as if intending to gut it's foe. Both parties freeze, give the slightest bow of their heads, and move away from each other. Blade slides harmlessly back into it's holster, sticks move to slide into a harness behind the wielder's back. Hands meet in the middle, a wholehearted shake you'd find in comrades, no hard feelings on either side. Just a grin and a smirk as they come down from the battle lust and stretch a bit before turning to look at those who had been watching. The blademan rolls his eyes at the looks in the eyes upon them, shining with awe and envy and respect. The other laughs and dismisses the assembled, reminding them of an assignment giving by another before the fight had been started. To remember and report back to their teachers the next day, in as much detail as possible, as well as giving a commentary upon which they thought would have won had the battle continued and why.

Once they are alone in that place the laughing man guides the other to a bench where they had abandoned most of their things before the fight, including water bottles. The sticks are removed from their harness and laid on the floor next to a great metal pole, unadorned in any way beyond it's black coloring and simple in it's design. The other one keeps his blade with him, even as he flops down on the bench and drains half the water in his bottle in one go.

"If you drink too much your stomach is going to be sloshing when we really fight," the laughing man said, grinning at his partner before sipping at his own water.

"So? Might as well consider it a handicap for me, not that it will do you any good," the other countered, but he did stop drinking to hold the cool plastic to his forehead instead.

"I could have had you out cold at least seven times in those last three minutes."

"I could have had your arms or head off at four points in the last two."

There is nothing vicious in the way they speak to each other, just honest observations of a battle hard fought. Even if what they said was true, neither would have taken the chances presented. What could they gain from killing each other? The paperwork alone would be annoying to both, not to mention dealing with the Allied Garden's Counsel after that. If they survived an inspection from the Headmaster and the Esthari government first.

"Face it, Almasy, my 'plain old sticks' can handle your gunblade any day."

"Maybe, but that is assuming I'd let you get the things in hand."

While the one called Almasy poured the last of his water on his head, ignoring the way it soaked through his shirt better than it cooled him, the other just nodded, standing and grabbing a uniform coat that had been left on their bench for the fight. The harness for his sticks was removed before the black coat was pulled on, and then replaced along with the weapons once it was fully fitted. As it always seemed to be after their fights, the collar wasn't closed all the way, not that Almasy could blame the other man. Sparring like that was hot business.

"The students seemed to enjoy the fight this time," the man offered as Almasy began to get himself together, pulling his own uniform jacket on over the wet shirt, and failing to zip it up in any way. He pulled it off though, rather well. Something about the man worked well with the slightly messy look he often took when in uniform, and he knew it.

"Let them, so long as they remember that I would have won. You should remember that too Nomura."

Nomura only laughed as he lifted the metal pole from the floor and used it to give a mocking salute to Almasy. "Of course, it's obvious that I would have let you win this time. Everyone could see that. But they're being asked who would have one in a real battle, not in that specific one."

Almasy rolled his eyes, stood, and moved to follow the laughing man from the training room. "Whatever you say, Commander. Whatever you say."

That earned a smile from Nomura, who looked back over his shoulder, over the metal bar he'd stretched across his back and wrapped his arms casually around. Like that he could easily block most of the hallways in this or any other Garden, the six foot pole doing wonders in halls only ten feet wide. Him and a person walking comfortably beside him could easily take up the whole hall, as he and Almasy did often enough after their matches.

"Keep talking like that and I might wonder if you've replaced my trusted wolf with some lion or other."

A common enough comment, mocking but light hearted, only gained the common enough response. "I don't think an eagle your size could carry me away from here."

Smiling, Nomura headed at last through the doors that separated the secondary training area from the rest of the complex. With Almasy falling in step at his right side, he made his way through the halls of the place that was more his now than any place had ever been in his life.

Esthar Garden was a thing of beauty, anyone who saw it would easily concede that fact. Of course they were just as willing to admit that it was the smallest of the Gardens, though few begrudged it that. The previous three Gardens had all been created by the people of Fisherman's Horizon, based upon the remains of old Centra mobile centers. There had been no fourth remaining, leaving Esthar Garden in a unique position of being incapable of flight. No one found this a short coming though, not with the Ragnarok watching over the city. In truth the Garden was a large circular building with three distinct towers. The main level handled the most public parts of Garden, such as the cafeteria (which was the base of the dormitory and student tower), the library (which extended into the academic tower), and the infirmary (which was the base of the administrative tower). Amid all of this was a large garden which served as the quad for students, and a relaxing garden in a city so focused on technology. The training areas for the small Garden were buildings adjoining the campus, much like the style used in Balamb, but doubled with more general training areas with matted floors, such as the one Nomura and Almasy had just exited, and housed the main part of practical weapons combat training for the Garden, most of the magic and other subjects handled in the academic tower. What was most amazing about the small Garden was it's specialized classes, and the interrelation it had with many parts of the city, such as Odine's labs, or the technology specialized companies in the city.

Nomura was very proud of the place that he had come to call home. It wasn't like the other Gardens, and he thought it all the better for it. Yes, it had the same ultimate purpose, it took missions like other Gardens, the cadets here still had to go to Balamb for SeeD examinations like all other Gardens. There were many similarities in the operation as well, though with minor changes. The SeeDs still wore the same uniform as they did everywhere else in the world, as Nomura and Almasy wore, but the cadets wore the standard Garden uniform in ash gray and a pale blue accent, compared to the navy and yellow of Balamb, black and red of Galbadia, and light blue and purple of Trabia. Their logo was the same as any other garden, the SeeD emblem in black and white, complimented by a dark blue, but their students wore the Esthar version of the badge: green accents where dark blue occurred in the universal symbol, just as Balamb chose a light blue, Galbadia a red, and Trabia a yellow. It was like every other Garden in that it was like every other Garden, but unique at the same time. And just like the others it had it's own specialization, one Nomura found ironic. Infiltration and technology. If you needed to get information, needed to get a man into a hostile organization, needed to hack a security system or build a firewall to stop the hackers, you went to Esthar. Not that they were limited to those things of course, no Garden was too specialized.

"I think we should increase the combat requirements for graduation," Almasy said suddenly as they moved through the quad and back towards the administrative building. There was no reason for either of them to return to any classroom at this time on a Friday. Sure it was only early afternoon, but there was paperwork to be done, reports to deal with, missions to arrange, and all of it to be done in time that they could hopefully gain a weekend of relaxation before launching into the stress that always came with arranging to send students to Balamb for the exams, hoping they would return as SeeDs that would be the gems of their Garden, the pride of all their hard work.

"You say that every single time we spar."

"No. Only when we spar in front of students."

Nomura rolled his eyes at the correction and swung the metal pole from it's awkward position over his shoulders, whirling to press the tip against Almasy's throat. To the blond's credit, he didn't flinch. Good thing too, if his head of security and faculty flinched at something like this, then honestly, Nomura didn't want him around. He'd be far too old to be useful, Class A SeeD or not, friend or not, former-sorceress knight or not. Seifer just smirked in his own way, raised a finger to the pole, and pushed it aside so he could continue walking.

"Damn bastard," Nomura hissed under his breath.

Seifer's smirk only grew at that, "Damn right. Your damn bastard too, Commander."

"You'd think after six years you'd stop calling me that, Almasy. The novelty has long since worn out."

"Yeah, but you always seem to hesitate when I say it. You still seem to think the title isn't yours."

"It's n..."

"If you say it isn't yours, I'll not only hit you upside the head, but I'll find a way to give you detention and embarrass you in front of your parents."

"You wouldn't," Nomura said, glaring at his right hand man, almost sure that Seifer actually wouldn't do that sort of thing.

"Try me Nida," the look in his blue eyes was positively mischievous.

He would. That look, the using of his first name in public when they normally stuck to titles or last names around students, it all pointed to that one fact. Seifer not only would, but he'd enjoy it the whole time, regardless of what Nida thought of it.

This was one of their biggest points of contention over these last six years in Esthar. It beat out which was the better fighter, which was the better magic user (junctioned or otherwise), which was the better flirt when they were in bars, and every other little thing they could compete over. Nida had never thought himself, now or before, as worthy of the role of SeeD Commander in the new Esthari Garden. After circumstances that left him a traitor from Balamb Garden, caused by the fact that he was from Esthar and used by the government as a spy in B Garden and the president's unwitting revelation of this in front of a room full of Balamb SeeDs, Nida had never felt comfortable as a SeeD. It hadn't mattered that he was one of the few elite rank in the world. The man had been expelled from Garden, and lived for three years in self-imposed exile from both Balamb and Esthar. Seifer, having become a SeeD shortly after Nida's departure from Garden, achieving the elite rank of Class A himself, had been sent out by the SeeD Commander of B Garden, the Lion of Balamb, Squall Leonhart, to find the wayward mercenary. All had decided that there would be no better leader for SeeDs in Esthar than an Esthari who was already a SeeD himself. Ultimately it had lead here, to these days of authority in Esthar and the world, one of four SeeD Commanders who had absolute control over all SeeDs in the world, whether they still worked with a Garden or not. Seifer had come along for the ride, gaining himself much fame, prestige, and power in a country he had wronged the least, and was most accepting of his return. Even with these six years, even with Seifer reminding him of his role when duties did not, Nida could not think of himself as a Commander really. That would always be Leonhart to him, and Seifer had never liked his rival being recognized over his superior, especially since he could clean both of their clocks. Good thing he hadn't had aspirations to power for a long time.

"Seifer," Nida said after a while, standing there with his friend both smiling and fingering his gunblade in a menacing way, "you know that I can't..."

"So what if he's the Lion of Balamb?" Seifer demanded. "What's so important about that? You're not a pushover, I don't work for pushovers. You're the Eagle of Esthar, you earned that title just like he earned his all those years ago in the war. No one flies or fights like you, especially not for Gardens or Esthar. Hell, even Selphie wanted lessons from you after that thing you did with the Ragnarok when that group of Ruby Dragons decided that it didn't like hanging around on the Island Closest to Hell anymore and came looking for a new place to live. Who the hell stopped that thing before it took out Winhill, without even summoning and only an airship at his disposal? Who shot the damn things out of the sky? You. So shut the hell up and man up."

Nida couldn't help but smile. Seifer didn't do long winded talks these days. He didn't need to. All the man had to do was smirk or glare and things got done, and done right. Where he would be without Seifer, Nida couldn't tell.

"Whatever you say, Wolfie," Nida teased before turning and continuing the trek to their offices. Seifer was right, as he always was, and Nida was thankful. The Wolf looked out for his own, no longer the loner of his youth, but a pack animal that took care of his Garden better than anyone would have ever expected of him. No one thought of him as knight to the sorceress Ultimecia anymore, he wasn't even regarded as an outsider in Esthar, even though he wasn't native.

"Good, because you know I'm right."

"Of course."

Again the pair walked in silence, moving through the Garden they had helped to build, that had become their home. Students greeted the passing pair with respect and difference, sometimes reverence or fear when it came to Seifer. Faculty smiled and gave the sweeping bows that always annoyed Seifer, though it was more because he remembered having to do such things in the traditional Esthari robes, and he'd always complained that the fabric was too much and hard to keep from stepping on or getting dirty. His type of balance and grace didn't always translate well from swordplay into socialization. Arrogance and those robes didn't work together well, one could see that well enough from Odine alone.

"Hey, Seifer," Nida started, his voice pitched low so only Seifer would hear him. Unfortunately before he could get anything more out there was beeping from his pocket. Not only his, but Seifer's as well. The two looked at each other with a sigh before taking out the communication device that was standard to SeeDs, as well as upper level members in Garden hierarchies these days.

"Nomura here," Nida answered after flipping open the silver and green device emblazoned with the Esthari SeeD logo.

"Nida," the voice said, completely devoid of any emotion or indication of what was going on. Only one person could pull such a sound off. And if he was calling things weren't good.

"Squall. What's up?"

"Report in from Trabian patrols, confirmed by Balamb. You've got Hexadragons near the Great Plains."

This took a few moments to process. Hexadragons lived in only two places in the world, the Island Closest to Hell, and the Grandidi Forest. Those on the island were rather harmless, as the six eyed dragon mutants could not swim. However those in the forest were carefully observed. Normally they didn't range far from the northern areas where the Gayla and Cockatrice they fed on were plentiful. Before the Lunar Cry almost a decade ago there were occasional problems with stray groups who came south into the Great Plains to feed upon Mesmerizes. These days eyes were kept upon the Hexadragons not only because of the threat they posed to some settlements that had come up in areas of the Millefeulle Archipelago that were between the forest and the plains, but also because the mating season for the Hexadragons unfortunately coincided with that of the Behemoths, which had been a part of the Great Plains ever since the Lunar Cry. While they normally kept to the northern area of the plains, watched often by patrols and kept away from settled areas and people by specialized electric fences, things got difficult when mating Hexadragons and Behemoths encountered each other. The last time it had happened, two years back, a whole village had been lost in the resulting battle for territory.

"Fuck," was all Nida could manage, a sentiment echoed by Seifer as he likely received the same information from Selphie, the SeeD Commander in Trabia. "How far out?"

"Less than a two hours from Behemoth territory from the report, and four from a village."

"Thanks Squall, I'll get on it right away."

"Nida," Squall cut in, "I'm sorry you had to find out from Balamb and Trabia patrols..."

"I know."

With that he disconnected the call and looked to Seifer. If the rare Balamb and Trabia patrols over that area, just courtesy patrols that did little more than fly-overs when Esthari ones were covering more southerly areas, had to call this in... The dragons wouldn't have gotten that far in the time since the last scheduled team was in that area, a team that hadn't reported back from the due check in the day before. The Esthari soldiers weren't trained for dealing with Hexadragons or Behemoths, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

Then again, neither did Garden cadets or the SeeDs that they had at their disposal right now. There weren't many people who could handle a single full grown Hexadragon during calmer points in the year, much less a full grown bull Behemoth in mating season.

"Seifer," Nida said, turning to look at his right hand man. Already Seifer's hand was on his gunblade. There was a minor nod, both knew what had to be done.

"We leave from the top of the Admin building in twenty minutes. Get ready."

With that the two split up, both already on their communication devices, Nida dealing orders to squad leaders and faculty members while Seifer reported to the Headmaster and told him of their pending departure. Through all of this the pair rushed to their respective destinations, the apartment he had in the SeeD dorm levels of the residence building for Seifer, and the office of the Commander in the administrative building for Nida. Within fifteen minutes (new records for them both) the pair were on the roof of the administrative building, where the fastest of fliers waited for the pair. Nida had insisted on the thing during his second year, for when a situation called for a SeeD of him and Seifer's rank to accomplish, it was rare they had enough time to run to the air station for the Ragnarok, if they even had time for it. In those fifteen minutes Seifer had managed to change, never much liking to fight in his SeeD uniform, and Nida had grabbed up the standard medical kit of potions and elixers (and a few spare spell stones) from his office, as well as gathering up the familiar comfort of Siren. While neither of the men liked to use GFs anymore, Siren remained at Esthar Garden for her love of the city, and at times of extreme need, Nida or Seifer would borrow on her power as much as they could with as little risk as possible to their memories. Neither junctioned anymore these days, the constant presence of a GF necessary for it making the practice unwise for any real length of time outside of SeeD missions, even for the young SeeDs. Only Balamb still practiced extensive use of GFs, and part of it was work with research into protecting memories while still using them.

"Ready?" Nida asked as he moved from leaning on the edge of the flier once Seifer appeared through the door from the tower.

"As I'll ever be with shit like this."

Without another word the pair got into the flier and headed off for what would be one of the hardest fights they had fought, or would have to, in years. At least, Nida thought as they left the radiant blue of Esthar behind, the Ruby Dragons could be shot down with the Ragnarok. This was going to be a job done up close and personal...

Squall's estimates had been kind, but inaccurate. Whatever data they were basing their assumptions upon was faulty, as Nida and Seifer had found. Now they stood together, Hexadragons on one front, Behemoths on the other, and no where to run. Around them already laid the corpses of three Hexadragons, meaning less challenge from that front, with only about ten more to deal with, but neither had managed to take down one of the more dangerous Behemoths yet. Already Nida was tired, sparring with Seifer was always a draining thing on it's own, and this was doing nothing to help. Seifer didn't seem as tired, but he hid that kind of thing better, always had. Where Nida was already sore, taking breaths a bit faster than he would having come into this fresh, Seifer seemed completely calm and at peace. You could have thought him in line for lunch as much as in the middle of battle. The thing that gave him away, always gave him away, was the sound of one leather gloved hand shifting on Hyperion's hilt. That bit of caution when Seifer mentally asked himself if he was really ready for this kind of thing. It was almost worrying.

"Hey, Seifer, you sure you can handle this? I mean, if you're still tried from me kicking your ass earlier, well, you can always sit on the side while I handle this."

That earned Nida a chuckle, and a bit of the tension seemed to melt away from them when Seifer shot back with his own insight. "Yanno, if one more Hexadragon shows up, I might have to actually let you fight."

The SeeD Commander smiled, his hands sliding carefully over his metal pole as he slid into an offensive stance. "I'm getting tired of waiting here Seifer. I don't like staring matches, a little slow for me. How about you?"

"Not nearly so much fun unless you're bashing something's head in," Seifer readily agreed.

"Damn brutes, why do I keep them around me?" Nida asked, feigning annoyance.

Truth was, right now, he wouldn't trade Seifer for anyone else at his side, not even Leonhart. These last years had been something of an experience for them both, considering how Seifer Almasy, the great bully of Garden, had nothing to do with the quiet pupil Nida Nomura all those years ago when they were cadets. At first the only reason they spoke after the war, when Nida returned, was because they had both understood what it meant to be traitors to people who believed in you, trusted you, and were important to you. It was one of the few things they had shared. Of course, once Nida no longer had to hold back in fights, sparring had become an option, and in the limited time Nida had spent in Garden the second time around, before hiding away from Seifer and everything else while Squall sneaked around to get him his current position, had included evening matches with the blond. Seifer had come to Esthar with him because it was a place they could both be accepted, despite what they had done to Balamb, despite who they were, or even because of it. Esthar at least understood the control of a sorceress making people do things they did not necessarily want, or corrupting desires. Where other places could not forgive a sorceress knight, Esthar had welcomed him, and welcomed Nida home. Since their second year as members of the new Garden there had been a rumor around the city. That truth was that the SeeD Commander really ran the place, and his right hand man was a force to be reckoned with. No one doubted that if they wanted the two could lead a revolt and place Nida as Headmaster with Seifer as SeeD Commander. They also knew that neither would want to take the positions.

After all this time, after all that history, hell, after that fight this morning, Nida was sure that this was the right person to have at his side, no matter the lip he got.

"Because I'm useful in a brawl. Speaking of a brawl... How about a little wager?"

While it was ridiculous in the face of the horrible odds against them, Nida allowed Seifer his amusement. If a bet would make him feel better about a fight that they had just as much chance of dying in as surviving, let him make it.

"What on?"

"I take down more of these bastards than you do."

Nida grinned. "Say I agree to this little bet, what do you have for me that I can't get for myself? Other than being reminded of how superior I am to you?"

"You win, I stop bugging you about increased combat requirements for the kiddos, and you can start that other class you wanted, I'll back you up and act as an instructor. I know you can get some for other areas, but there is only two gunbladers of such a level in the world you know."

Nida nodded. He liked this bet already. For three years he'd been pushing a new idea for a class, but without the backup of Seifer for the most vital part, it was pretty much useless. What he wanted was a chance to teach a class himself, both for cadets and SeeDs. Most Esthari students didn't get the combat experience other Gardens did. Sure, they took on monsters, and some of the stronger types in the planet (though he didn't dare think they were ready to handle a situation like this), but against thinking opponents? Just as many students failed one-on-one combat as passed these days, and he hoped that with actual combat against him and higher ranked SeeDs, he could increase proficiency against thinking and armed opponents. If people needed to deal with an actual fight, they needed to be able to survive it. But Seifer was forbidding it because he didn't want the Commander hurt by a cadet, or a cadet hurt by the Commander. On top of that it would serve a tutoring for certain types of weapons, and Seifer always said he would never tutor a kid with a gunblade. He'd already taught Squall and wasn't teaching another.

"And what do you get if you win?"

Seifer grinned over his shoulder, and Nida caught it out of the corner of his eye, before returning his attention to the approaching monsters.

"I get to meet your parents."

Okay, now that was confusing to Nida. "Seifer, you went fishing with my father on the West Coast just last month. You already know my parents."

"Nope fly-boy. I know your parents, but I haven't had the chance to _meet_ them yet. I want to meet them. With you there. Maybe dinner or something."

Nida's jaw dropped. It was sheer instinct that had him lashing out with his weapon and a roar as the first Hexadragon made it's move for him, lunging forward and glaring at him with it's six odd eyes. It seemed as if these had made the move first, and as one Nida and Seifer rushed headlong into battle with the black and blue creatures, hoping that the Behemoths would take a bit longer to catch up with the battle rush.

"So?" Seifer asked, a few minutes later when Hyperion had cut sliced easily through all six eyes of a Hexadragon.

"So what?" Nida demanded, already caught up in the focus on battle and not enjoying the distraction as he rammed the pole home through the chest, and hopefully heart, of his own foe.

"We have a deal, Nomura?" Another of the creatures fell as Seifer slashed at it's face, pulling the trigger with the right timing to send one of the specially made gunblade bullets right into the creature's skull.

"Sure, whatever, just shut up." A pole was pulled from the chest of one creatures and brought hard into the back another, breaking the back easily.

"Good, because I'm at six already, and we're out of Hexadragons," Seifer chuckled, taking a short moment to try and wipe some of the blood off of his black blade and onto the back of the most recent kill.

"I'm happy you've had that. Do the three before the bet count?"

"Nope," the blond cheerfully supplied.

"Then I'm only at four. Looks like I have to catch up," Nida said, hefting his pole again, stretching a second, and then grinning before throwing himself towards the Behemoths. Now the real fun began.

"Don't think I want to let you do that, fly-boy," Seifer countered, raising Hyperion and heading to join his friend in a far harder fight than one got from ten Hexadragons. Now started the battle for their lives, and those of many others in Esthar.

Now, if only they would win and he could see Nida blush when trying to explain to his parents why Seifer wanted to have dinner with them in an expensive restaurant. Or the one that he'd have when his parents finally understood why Seifer and Nida were so close.

He'd have to remember to get a camera.


	21. Sound

Author's Notes: I SWEAR to you that this was NOT supposed to happen. Seriously, I was just going to do a nice little piece finishing up the damn arc that has been plaguing me by writing a bit about Nida before Balamb. Then I started to wash dishes, and got to thinking how I ended the most recent one, and... Again, a piece following an unnamed arc with stories Esthar, Home Sweet Home, Sweet Cookies at Midnight, and Esthar's Best (themes Parents, Home, Weeks, and Teammates respectively). With this I tie for longest arc made of things that should have started as a damn one-shot and refused to stay like a good muse. At least this one has a more immediate timing compared to the others.

Theme: Sound

* * *

White Noise

The hand between his isn't cold, not exactly. While it was cooler than he is used to, it still has the warmth of life to it, albeit not nearly as much as he would like. Between his own hands, warm with the temperature of the room, sweating from the way they had just recently been balled up in his lap, shaking from far too many thoughts on his mind and none of them all too good, they don't seem like what he knows they have to be. These are the hands of a partner, a rival, a friend, a lover, like the person that meant more to him than he really should. Like this they feel so small, so weak and so frail. And they are pale, so very pale, next to his own skin, the kind of sickly color one would expect of the chronically ill.

He does the only thing he can think to do, places a light kiss on the back of the familiar hand, and in a whisper that even he can barely hear himself, asks for the other man to wake up. There is no surprise in the fact that the quiet request goes unfulfilled. As much as he wants to raise his voice and demand that his friend awake, he can't bring himself to act in this way. The noise would be too much, and would cover the constant, repetitive, but reassuring beeps of the machines that proved that there was still life here. Getting angry would only turn his attention from the way the chest of his loved one rose and fell with each far too faint breath. This one isn't sleeping of his own accord, there would be snoring and shifting then, the man far less capable of staying still asleep than he was awake. But he's still alive, still there and clinging to life like the fighter he is, and that is all one can really ask for now.

Slowly, carefully, he places the hand back on the bed, and frowns at how like they are to the color of the bandages covering the whole of the sleeping man's arm as well as, below the blankets and hospital gown, most of his torso. So like the color of the cast on the leg further away and held up by a sling. How could this man be so pale? Guilt swells within him, looking down at the man and his injuries, and thinking of just how bad they had been before. The image was such that he would never be able to drive from his mind, blood welling up and flowing freely from the deep slashes left by the clawed paws of a behemoth. Blood on his back, his chest, all down his arm, from a leg that was bent in a way that was far from natural. All of it to save him.

What a fool he had been, to throw himself so willingly into the midst of three of the great beasts, intending to rain death upon them from a well timed use of a spell stone. He should have known the stone was going to be a dud, it hadn't sung with power or set his skin slightly numb from the energy it was giving off. Then again, he'd never used a meteor spell stone before, and each type felt different...

No. No, he'd take the blame that was properly his, he would not pass it off onto the man who had put it in his hand, smirking and insisting that he wouldn't need it, that he had other stones for himself. How fast that one had read the situation. No sooner had the stone failed than he'd turned his back on his own target, throwing himself into the battle, weapon cutting deep into the muzzle of one behemoth with a single swing, taking the eye of another that dared to get to close. The fury of battle had been full upon his partner by that point, and his action had been to protect someone who should not have needed it. The sort of action that they should have been able to avoid by going together, by refusing to take anyone below the level that would be needed to take on the battle they had to. No foolish risks, no stupid moves that would get you killed. Two masterful warriors laying waste to a threat to their home, or dying together to do so.

Instead he sits here now, beside the hospital bed and wondering what had compelled his lover to risk himself in such a foolish way. For the life of a man so foolish as him.

A hand is suddenly on his shoulder as he looks upon his lover, and he can't help but flinch away from the contact he did not expect. He looks, glances really, at the visitor before returning his attention to the bed. The brunette he caught sight of was expected after all, no immediate threat, no reason to lift his visual. For a moment, two, three, the hand stays in place, before it's gone and the newcomer is pulling another chair to the side of the bed. From the corner of his eye he sees at the silent man gives him a look that could almost be pity, except this isn't the kind of man that gives pity so easily.

"Squall."

It's a simple greeting, but really, it's also all he thinks he can handle parting with right now. If he talks too much then it drowns out the sound of the machines that prove there is still life here. That there is still a chance the man will come back around and he can make up for all of those foolish things he'd done to make everything wind up this way.

"I just spoke with the doctor. He said..."

"I know. I am down as the one who makes decisions if this sort of thing happens."

Squall is silent for a while, nothing odd for him, but it isn't a comfortable silence they like might have once had. Instead it's filled with the sense that he wants to say something, but can't find the words. In the end he does find something to say, but the hesitance, the halting way he talks as if he hasn't really thought it out, it's all unnerving. More so than the words.

"He... He knew what he was doing. You know that, right? If he... felt that your life was more important than his," a thought left to hang in the air between them. He can almost taste the accusations in Squall's words, ones that probably aren't really there, "then I believe he was right. His choices have always been weighed so carefully since after the war."

"Don't talk about him in the past tense," is the hissed response.

"I... I hadn't realized I was. I didn't mean to..."

"Doesn't matter that you meant to do or not, Squall. You did it anyway. He's still alive, and he's not going to die. So only present and future tenses. Got it? Not he 'knew' what he was doing, but he 'knows'."

"I'm sorry," Squall says, and it is so weird to hear it from him that it's instantly rejected.

"You should be. You barely even know him anymore. Maybe you know who he was, after he came back to Garden, maybe even when we first came here to Esthar. But what do you know of him now Squall? Do you even try to keep in contact with him? Or did you just cut off contact, like you did with me? He's not the same man he was back then. Good thing too, because he was broken back then."

"We all were," Squall points out, patient in the face of the ridicule that is obviously hitting home from the way his voice is so cold.

"Yeah, maybe that is true. But look were you are, head of the Allied Gardens Council. Son of the President of Esthar. The Lion of Balamb. Mister High and Mighty. You don't get it, never did, never will."

"Stop this. Saying this is only going to make you regret it later."

"I already regret so much. What will one little offense to the great Squall Leonhart be in the face of all of the rest? In the face of this?"

He's on his feet now, arm sweeping wide in a gesture made at the bed, and the man there. It expands unspoken between them to fill the room. This whole place is the gesture, and they both know it. He's demanding Squall look at where they are, what is around them, who is there before them. This isn't just a hospital, it's an ICU. They both know there is internal damage that surgeries only recently dealt with, that the patient has only been here for ten minutes after hours of operations and anxieties. Not once has he awoken since the end of the battle, since he found the flier wrecked, since he called in the request for help. Nothing save a faint smile as he had reacted up and brushed calloused fingertips over a familiar cheek. Nothing since he'd initially passed out right after the fury of his partner over what happened spurned him to destroying all of their foes.

"What is one more little offense like insulting the powers that be when my own recklessness has my best friend on the edge of death? How the hell am I supposed to care about your wounded pride, Squall, in a situation like this?!"

The gunblade master actually recoiled from the raised voice, the sheer hostility, misplaced as it obviously was. His voice was cutting like steel and cold as ice when he chose to speak next.

"Lower your voice and sit down, now. Or I will see to it that you are removed from here until you can handle your emotions."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would, and I will. Don't test my patience. You're not the only one here upset over what happened."

"Maybe, but he is the only one. Well, we're all upset, but only he can be as upset as this. No one else can know what it's like to be in his spot."

They both look up to the new invader, invaders. Squall looks confused, probably is by the unfortunately insightful comment from the man with long dark hair streaked gray, his father. President Loire moves in slowly, pity plain upon his face, and takes the chair offered by his son. Both Squall and the second newcomer, Kiros, stand near the chair, but neither speak. It's obvious Squall wants to ask though, ask why there should be any difference between people who worry for a friend, even if they feel responsible. He doesn't have to, Laguna doesn't say something if he doesn't intend upon explaining it, eventually. First though he looks upon the injured man and shakes his head slightly, then he looks to Squall, the look almost one of disappointment. With a son such as Squall it isn't a look you'd expect from the man, but it is there nonetheless, and Kiros seems to be echoing it.

"It is far from proper to have come to him as a friend but with every intention of debriefing him. You will get no where in the face of grief and shock, Squall. Not even with the best trained soldiers. And he's not used to following orders anymore, are you?"

The man in the other seat, the original watcher, can't help but look shocked, and turns a glare to Squall.

"You were going to debrief me? Here?"

Squall shakes his head, not very much, but enough to get the point across. "Back at Esthar Garden. Standard procedure, you weren't injured enough to merit it here."

"I won't leave his side."

"Nor will you. No matter what Squall's will is. I've already sent word to the Headmaster, and he's ordered that you are on temporary, and forced, medical leave from Garden and all involved in it. Including the debrief that the Council will want of you. I'm to tell their President that you aren't to be bothered until you feel well enough to return on your own."

Kiros is the only one untouched by shock with this statement. Somewhere beyond the cold facade it was obvious that Squall was steaming, but he didn't feel like looking hard enough to find it. The man deserved the rebuke his father had so easily dealt him. He didn't argue though, Squall never did argue with Laguna. Nothing would be gained from it.

"I have to debrief him," he mumbles under his breath, and everyone hears it, though none choose to listen.

Laguna turns his attention instead to the man in the bed. A frown seems out of place on him, but in this situation, it's perfectly understandable. That doesn't make this whole thing any more comfortable for the SeeD at his side of course. All he wanted was to be alone with his friend. No Squall and his responsibilities. No Laguna and his quiet scheming that always caught you off guard when you realized it was there. No Kiros and the sympathy and understanding that hung heavily around him.

"He did this to protect you," Laguna says at length, and it isn't a question. "You do know this, right?"

The SeeD nods, "Yes. It's my fault..."

Quickly Laguna cuts him off with a shake of the head and a sigh. "No. He chose to do this, put himself into danger for you. He is that kind of man. Stronger than any of us could have given him credit for."

"I've always thought he was strong."

"It's easy to think that about someone you love. But that he would willingly risk his life to save yours, that is true strength. But it means he knows you have strength as well, to accept his actions knowing you'd do the same thing in his position. To know he understands what pain he's putting you through, but that he does it for love..."

"Wait," Squall cuts in, only to be silenced by Kiros' hand gripping him by the wrist and holding him in place. For a man in his fifties he's quite good at keeping the strong mercenary at bay.

"I don't... I didn't deserve him doing this," the SeeD responds after a minute, ignoring the looks Squall was sending him. Weird how Laguna could have read between the lines of their relationship when Squall who had known them longer seemed completely blind to it.

"And would you want him going through the pain you are now because you did the same thing?"

No. He doesn't say it. Doesn't say that he never wanted the man to suffer something like this, the breaking wasn't like what they'd went through before as mercenaries, as traitors to friends, as people fleeing from the repercussions of that very thing. But he also knew that the man would handle it better.

"He's strong. Have faith in the man who you trusted your life to, in the man who saved your life at this steep a price. Be glad it wasn't higher, know he will get through it. Faith. Can you do that?"

When he gets no response, Laguna moves to place a hand on that of the SeeD, comforting and something to anchor himself to, if he wants it. Still no response and Laguna stands.

"Just wait. He'll wake up any moment and smile," the President started, only to be cut off by Kiros.

"And tease you about the worried look on your face, and soon you'll be dealing with him griping over how bad hospital food is and how the sedatives they are bound to give him make him sleep through his favorite soaps..."

"Hey! I didn't do all of that!" Laguna complained, pouting as he looked at his long time friend.

"Ward can back me up on that. President you may be, but good patient you are not."

"He will not. I'm a good patient and he'll vouch for it," Laguna insisted as Kiros began to usher him from the room without any words or visible signs. For the sake of them both Kiros does wave as he leaves the SeeD and Squall to their thoughts. And when they are completely out of hearing...

"What's going on here? What was my father talking about? Are you...?"

It's not spoken, but the question is obvious.

"Five years Squall. Or about that much. He'll know the exact date, he's good with that kind of thing."

Explanations are pointless, would take too much effort. So again he takes the still hand between his own, and places a kiss on the back of it.

"Why were you hiding it?"

"Who said we were? Maybe if you had contact with us in more than an official way you'd know it."

He wouldn't have known even if he had asked. They'd kept it to themselves, not wanting to explain why Esthar Garden's SeeD Commander and Head of Security and Faculty were in a relationship. It wasn't anyone's business but their own. Leave it to Laguna to know what he shouldn't...

"I... I'm sorry."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it. Either sit down and be quiet, or shut up. I'm tired of talking."

"That's a first."

They froze, Squall at the wall and the man in the middle of replacing the cool hand back on the bed. Neither had spoken, could have achieved that raw and strained tone, even if they had tried. Shock wasn't enough to describe the looks upon their faces, nor was joy when the cool hand clenched just the tiniest bit around the two it was held within.

Somehow, in all of their arguing attention had left the quiet sounds of monitors and breathing. They hadn't noticed the small and tell-tale signs.

"Check it out, he's still quiet. And all I had to do was get treated like a Behemoth chew-toy. I should do this more often, get some peace around Garden."

Squall was at the bedside with such speed that even the SeeD was shocked. One second he'd been at the wall, the next he was staring at slowly opening eyes. Of course there was a bit of pride to be had that the injured man's look quickly skirted over Squall to land upon his partner.

"You bastard," he finally managed to choke out, tears threatening like they hadn't since the medical team had reached them in the Great Plains. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started to tell Squall off for the past tense thing," the man laughed, though it didn't sound as good as it should. "Hey, could someone hit the call nurse button?"

Squall did so as the other man poured a glass of water for the newly active man.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was trying to sleep. And I don't get to hear you tell the Lion of Balamb off enough."

"And Laguna?"

The man smiled, wincing as he tried to sit up to accept the glass of water. "I figure he knew right away. Sharp for all the clumsiness."

There everyone had to agree. Silence settled once the nurse and doctor came in to check up on him and explain his injures, and insist that he get rest. Which he even promised to do, once he'd had a chance to talk to his guests. After a promise of ten minutes tops with no strenuous action, or arguing with or between the pair, the doctor left, quickly followed by the nurse once she had showed her patient the bed control buttons and helped him get comfortable with a slightly more seated position.

When she was gone he closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his strength before speaking.

"Squall, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about our relationship, but as he said, we didn't think it was anyone's business. Though I agree that it obviously can't be too hard to read in us if your father has figured it out."

"Why?"

The sudden demand got all of the injured man's attentions as he looked towards his lover. "Why what?"

"Why did you throw yourself into that when you were obviously going to get hurt."

"Because you were going to get hurt. I couldn't let that happen. No one is allowed to kick your ass except for me."

Squall scoffed at that, but didn't add to their conversation.

"Did I do it though?"

"Do what?"

"Finish them off to protect you?"

"They had you down before that. You got one but..."

"Well fucking Hyne!"

That had both of the visitors freezing almost as much as the first words had. This wasn't the kind of man that swore for no reason.

"Are you okay?" Squall asked.

"He won."

Squall blinked in confusion.

"He won. If I had taken all three out I would have won. Two and I would have tied him when he took out the third. But only one means he got two. Arrogant bastard won."

Still Squall looked utterly bewildered, and the SeeD couldn't help but agree. Then it dawned on him, quite suddenly really, and he couldn't help but grin.

"I did, didn't I? Well, that is good news."

The bedridden man rolled his eyes. "Maybe for you."

"What is going on here?!" Squall demanded at last, succeeding in getting the attention of the pair.

"Bet him I'd kill more than he did, and I won. Which means he's got to introduce me to his parents as his boyfriend," Seifer said with a grin that was probably far too wide for the injured Nida's good.

"I swear to Hyne that if you kiss me in front of them, or feel me up, or any of that, I will have your head on a silver platter, Almasy. I've got justification now that I took this much damage for you."

Seifer just grinned wider, if that was possible, and leaned over the edge of the bed to kiss Nida full on the lips. When the kiss was broken he chuckled at the frustrated look on Nida's face.

"Don't worry fly-boy. I'm not going to let you get out of this one, not after how worried you had me."

Nida just rolled his eyes. Maybe he should have continued trying to get back to sleep rather than breaking up that awkward moment between gunblade masters that would have led to a fight. Maybe he should have let Seifer deal with the situation he got himself into. Maybe a lot of things. But for now...

"Ten minutes is up guys. I'm going to bed. Get out of my room Squall."

The scarred brunette silently, still looking out of sorts, nodded and slipped from the room. Seifer was about to follow him when Nida called out.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Sleep. They've got some couches in the lounge."

"Don't make me get out of this bed to hit you Seifer. It would be more damaging to me than to you."

"What do you suggest I do then, Mighty Commander?"

With a yawn Nida shifted as best he could in the bed considering the broken leg and the sling it was held in, not to mention the I.V.s. Seifer didn't need any more suggestion than that. After his shoes were kicked off he carefully eased him into the hospital bed, mindful of the wires and tubes. He didn't have much space, even laying on his side, but it was worthwhile.

When he fell asleep his head was buried in the neck of his lover, ear close enough to hear the beating of his heart instead of the beeping of machines.

Never before had Seifer slept so fitfully, dreaming of all the ways he was going to get revenge on Nida for worrying him like this. Nida was going to regret their bet before very long.


	22. Beginnings

Author's Notes: Again, a piece falling within an unnamed arc with stories Esthar, Home Sweet Home, Sweet Cookies at Midnight, Esthar's Best, and White Noise (themes Parents, Home, Weeks, Teammates, and Sound respectively) but I wish this arc had a name. Any ideas?

So, apparently I was wrong. I had been so sure that I had one more fic before I reached the upper limit of this arc. But I've tried about five times to start it, and it doesn't work. There is no NEED for it work. It seems that, as I unintentionally made a huge thing of this whole arc that was supposed to be a one shot, I unintentionally wrapped up everything I had to deal with that was formed in the first four stories by the fifth story. No matter how I looked, or how I tried, I could find nothing to do beyond the most recent to make a real story, not even dinner with Nida's parents.

Which means, I think... I think this might be the last one of this arc. Woah. I'm not done with Nida by far (this being my 23rd of 100 stories to be completed), but I think that for now, this one is done. And what better way to end it than with there it began. It's also far shorter than any of the others of this arc so far (a third the length of the most recent story/second shortest), but it didn't need more.

Theme: Beginnings

* * *

Balamb

The scent of salt in the air. The sound of gulls calling out to each other. The feel of sand under his boots. The vision that was sunlight dancing on the ocean. The taste of grilled balamb fish on a stick. These were the sensations of the town of Balamb.

He didn't like it.

Where was the scent of perfumes in the air? Where was the sweet and gentle hum of skyways and lifts? Where was the surety of step that came with firm paths below you? Where was the glorious sight of pale blue and gold dousing the land in a gentle and warm glow? And the taste of delicious fruit drinks sure to drive off the heat of summer in the most beautiful city in the world, Esthar?

"It is not what you expected?" It's more of a statement than a question though. Still, he cannot help but answer.

"It's just... Not like home."

"No. There is nothing much like Esthar. I have never seen anything that parallels the city."

When nothing was said in response, the man continued, not even letting the silence bother him. "I grew up in a place not too different from this. Yes, it was larger, a bit noisier, but it wasn't at all like Esthar."

"Galbadia isn't like Balamb either," came the response after a time. "The country is far larger than Balamb, which consists mainly of a fishing town and the Garden. Galbadia has it's own Garden, lots of cities and towns, and Deling City. Formerly of the Dollet Empire..."

The man chuckled and laid a hand upon the shoulder of the teenaged boy beside him. "I'm not one of your instructors, there is no need to report your knowledge to me. I helped select and train you for this task, remember? I am quite aware of how much you have learned, young Nomura."

As if the reminder put him back in his place, the boy looked nervously at his feet, but said nothing to correct the man. Who was he to do so after all? Sure he was the top student from Esthar's Military Academy, training in weapons and tactics and magic for several years now, but this man was a legend. One of the three heroes of Esthar, Kiros Seagul of Galbadia. None of the theory or practical classes he'd taken meant anything before the experience of the dark skinned man. He'd heard the tales, just like everyone else growing up in Esthar these days, knew all about how three Galbadian soldiers had done what no one else had been able to do: seal away a sorceress. Adel had been a horrible thing too, grinding the great city of Esthar under her foot, enslaving those she didn't like for whatever work suited her, capturing a young girl for reasons that no one knew, no one in the public at least. This man was a hero, whose time had come just before Nida had been born thirteen years ago, and now acted as one of the advisors of President Loire. Even Nida's own parents, in high and influential places themselves, could not equal the prestige of Seagul, or the respect he earned in the city.

So who was a child like him to act as if the man didn't know what he was talking about?

"Don't do that."

"What, sir?"

The man gave an exasperated sigh, something Nida recognized from the frequency he'd heard it these last weeks when he'd been in meetings and briefings and the President had been present.

"That. Don't defer to me because of who I am. If you are going to show me respect for anything, do it because I'm your elder. Not because of what I did for Esthar, because I didn't do it for just Esthar. Not because of my position either, because your father holds as much weight in decision making in the country as I do. And not because of who I know, because you know Laguna too now, and that is hardly impressive."

"Yes sir."

At that point Kiros just rolled his eyes and pushed Nida gently, using the hand on his shoulder to guide him forward on the road between the town and their goal of Garden. Kiros could not help but feel slightly worried for his charge though. The same reservations he'd had when Nida had been suggested for this operation rose again in his mind. This boy was still just a child, only thirteen years old, and they were sending him to a mission as if he was a fully trained agent. While he'd seen the boy in battle with both weapons and magic and knew him to be the best in those respects, while he'd seen test scores and intelligence test results that showed Nida to be more than well suited to the level of intellect vital to the mission, and while he was more than disciplined and serious enough to handle his objectives without supervision, in the end he was still a child. Thirteen years old and he'd never had a man's blood on his hands. Never known the pleasures of another person's body. Hyne, the boy was only a few years used to living away from his house, and only two weeks used to living without any contact with his parents at all.

Was it really right for them to put so much on the shoulders of a child?

"You know, you can still reject this mission," Kiros pointed out. True enough. Right up until the moment that they went in to the interview required of all prospective students Nida was free to call off this whole thing. Ask them to choose another, maybe someone older and better prepared for the sacrifices that will come from all of this.

To the shock of Kiros the boy merely looked up at him, confused. He hadn't seen a look like that before from the dark haired youth, not even when he'd been brought before the President and his mission was explained to him. Always such calm and composure, sometimes one forgot he was still a child. Understandable that the one time the child showed much of his youth was when Kiros was thrown off enough to say something that even Nida wasn't expecting, and considering how good the boy was at anticipating the moves of allies and opponents from his testing, that was almost a shock itself.

"Why would I do that? I'm supposed to be here. The President wants me, needs me to be here. For the sake of Esthar, right? I won't let him down."

Kiros couldn't hold back a smile as he reached to ruffle the boy's hair. The loyalty Laguna inspired in people was both insane and amazing. He knew it from experience. One smile from that man, and no matter how silly or poorly thought out the plan was, people were going to listen. They hadn't let him step down from his position of President in these last thirteen years, and Kiros didn't expect they would any time soon either. He was beloved by the people, as much as they loved the city it self. So different from their own home of Galbadia.

"I should have known better than to ask. Let's hurry on then, better to arrive early for the interview and show how responsible you are."

Nida nodded in agreement and rushed down the path ahead of Kiros, the duffle bag over his shoulder almost falling a few times before the boy adjusted it to cross over his whole torso, midstride. With a chuckle he normally reserved for the sillier antics of his long time friend, Kiros sped his own pace towards the Garden in the distance. He should have known better than to doubt the will of the boy they had chosen for this task.

"Hey, Kiros," Nida said, breaking the silence they held between them ten minutes later as Garden was quickly growing before their eyes. Only a few minutes away at his best estimates, very little time for talk between them as anything other than a child eager for Garden and his guardian escorting him there.

"Yes?"

"Could you... Could you tell my mom and dad that I'm sorry I'm going to be gone so long? That I love them and all, but they always taught me to do the right thing, to treat our country with pride and protect it. I'm doing that, and I don't want them to worry if I don't see them for a while..."

Or never again. It was left hanging, unspoken, between them. No one knew how long this deployment was going to last for the boy, and beyond his encrypted reports back to the President he could have no contact with anyone outside of the life of the alias they had created for him. Just some kid from the Dollet Dukedom, not the child of such highly placed members of Esthari society, not a prodigy, not the star pupil. Never to touch strongly upon people's radars, never to be too far in the background. A delicate balance of truth and lies, of who he was and who he would be once he stepped into Garden. No one wanted to think about that aspect of the boy's mission.

"I will make sure they know. I will tell them myself."

With that Nida smiled up at the older man, the kind of grin Kiros was used to seeing from Laguna.

"Thank you."

Kiros would have said more, but then they were suddenly walking before the Garden, listening to the sound of students in the distance and watching a blond boy with a tattoo snaking it's way up his face rushing through the gates and skidding to a stop before them. A student here no doubt, but young, maybe Nida's own age. The boy stood in place for a minute, shadow boxing at them, before someone in the distance shouted a name, 'Dincht' maybe, and the boy took off without a single word. Soon enough there was another person racing by to chase after the boy, a young girl about the same age, but in a Garden cadet uniform and a very serious look about her, as if she didn't like the game.

"Kids here aren't like they are back home either," Nida said, laughing at the display. It was true enough, children we a bit more... sedate in Esthar. Running in those robes they wore wasn't the easiest of things, and most of the chases involved the lifts in the city.

"No. But I expect you will fit in well enough."

Nida nodded in agreement before moving towards the gate of Garden.

"I'll have to, won't I?"


End file.
